Legend of the kung fu python
by Coneofwonders
Summary: A human who is killed in his world is offered a second chance by a wise tortoise called Oogway. The human takes the offer and finds himself in a new world as a python. While in this new world he will make new friends, make enemies, learn to love and hate kung fu, and more importantly, have what he always wanted but never had back on earth. A meaningful life. Rated M for language
1. Chapter 1

All I could feel was my head spinning as though I had been placed in a washing machine going a hundred miles an hour. My vision was nothing but white, that was all I could see. White! Have I gone blind? I panicked as I tried to walk forward, I couldn't even feel the ground beneath my feet but I was too focused on being blind to notice.

Suddenly, I heard someone humming. An old man judging by his voice. I tried to respond and called out in an unknown direction.

"Hello"?

I waited for a reply. Nothing. Great, now my mind was playing tricks on me.

"Greetings young one. I have been waiting for your presence".

... Okay... well that was interesting. Not to mention a little creepy. Before I had the chance to ask what he meant, I heard somebody coming from behind me. Most likely the same old man. I turned around.

Normally I would remain calm and relaxed when dealing with strangers. However, turning around, I saw a giant tortoise with a robe and a cane made out of some kind of wood. I would have smiled now that I knew I wasn't blind, only the tortoise was literally one foot away from where I was standing, scaring the hell out of me and causing me to fall down onto my butt. I was almost certain I was going to have a heart attack, my chest was beating that fast.

The tortoise just smiled as though he was mildly amused with his little "Scare the shit out of the human" routine.

"Is this real"? I asked myself hoping this was all a dream because lets face it. This is too weird for it to be reality.

Then, something hit me. Literally.

"OW"! I yelled out. I looked back at the tortoise to see him lifting his cane from my head back to his side. Three guesses to what hit me.

"What was that for"?! I half yelled, half afraid.

"Did it hurt"?

I looked at the tortoise as I rubbed my head. "...What"?

"Can you feel any pain"?

"Oh no of course not. You only just hit me hard on the head with a blunt weapon. OF COURSE I CAN FEEL BLOODY PAIN"! I yelled in anger.

Expecting the tortoise to leave, I become surprised to see a small smile form upon his face.

"Then everything that's happening right now, is indeed real my friend".

I almost wanted to say something back, but thinking about it he did make a fair point. I got up slowly, keeping my eyes on him at all times in case he tried to hit me again. I decided to see if this walking talking creature knew anything.

"Soooo... where are we"?

Not exactly an uncommon question but at least it was straight to the point.

"Here, There, everywhere. The space between spaces. But I believe you humans call it Limbo".

"Ah ok, well then- WAIT WHAT"!?

Safe to say I wasn't expecting that answer. At least I knew why everything was white and why I couldn't feel any ground.

"How does- I don- wha- that's impossible". I blurted out after spluttering every other answer.

"Nothing is impossible young one". The tortoise replied.

Young one? I'm nineteen years old.

"Well can you at least tell me why I'm here"? I asked, trying my best not to become frustrated, which was slowly becoming a losing battle. However my sudden anger was forgotten upon seeing the tortoise frown. He sighed.

"It seemed that there was an accident back from where you came from".

Call me crazy but I didn't feel too reassured with that answer, and I had a feeling that I shouldn't press on, but I needed to know.  
"What kind of accident"? I asked with a slightly shaky voice.

"You were attacked by thieves back on your world, not too long ago. One of them carried a knife and...".

He didn't continue. He knew that I got the message. I just stared at him, thinking that this was a joke.

"Wait, so... I... are you saying that I'm dead"?

He nodded slowly. I looked away, my anger replaced with sadness. I only thought of my family. My mother, my father, even my annoying little sister. I would never see any of them again.

"I'm sorry my friend. Destiny can be cruel". Unknown to me, he smiled. "But it can also be kind".

I looked back at him again.

"What do you mean"?

"Have you not wondered why I have come to you in the first place? I can offer you a second chance".

My eyes grew wide. He continued.

"However it will not be the same life you once knew. Not even the same body you once knew".

Needless to say I became curious. Granted I was upset, very upset, that I wouldn't be going back to my own world. But the thought of another world? That sparked my curiosity.

"And what world would this be"?

"My world of course". The tortoise smiled as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. In the worlds? Hell if I know, screw logic for the moment.  
"... Do I have a choice"? I asked, even though I felt it was a stupid question. I don't know why I thought that, it just it.

"Of course you do". He replied.

Honestly, I was planning on staying in limbo, there was nothing left for me on earth or anywhere else after all. But then the tortoise said something which made me think otherwise.

"But before you make a decision, know this. Within this new world, you may find something that will have meaning to not only you, but those you come to know".

"And that would be"?

"Happiness".

That had hit me. Metaphorically this time. My old life was far from perfect. Hell, it wasn't even average. I remembered a lot about all the bad times I had suffered through and how few good times there were. I thought hard about this. If this was what I wanted. I felt as though everything had slowed down for me. Then, for what felt longer than an eternity, I made my choice. I gave a weak smile and nodded. The tortoise smiled and touched me gently on the head. Softly this time, thank God, because it still hurts from where he hit me a little while ago.

The next thing I knew was that the tortoise seemed to be moving away from me, or rather I was moving away from him as I noticed his feet weren't moving. Suddenly, I remembered something I originally thought of just after meeting the tortoise.

"Who are you anyway"? I yelled as though I was trying to talk to him from the opposite end of a football pitch.

"A friend, an ally, a protector. But you can call me Oogway".

"Well Oogway, thank you".

And I meant that too. How many people are given a second chance? Not many at least. But I was glad that I was one of the few who did. Even if it did mean living in another world.

Before long, Oogway looked no bigger from a dot and then finally disappearing all together. Now all I could do was wait as everything white began to turn black. In my head, I was a little scared but my face didn't show it. I allowed my eyes to close and I waited. For what, I don't know but I rather I kept them closed.

A minute of nothing passed. I couldn't help but open one of my eyes and was dumbstruck to find myself in a forest. Of what I only assumed was... bambo. I think. I sat up, realising I was lying with my back on the ground. I tried to move my arm on top of my head. I didn't feel anything. I tried moving my arm again but again, I felt nothing.

I quickly looked down and guess what? MY FREAKING ARM WAS MISSING! I panicked as would anybody who would realise their arm was suddenly missing. Although, that was nothing compared to the rest of my body.

Looking at the whole of my body, I found that it had been replaced by a long slender body leading down into what looked like an even thinner tail. What was worse was that all my limbs were missing! I tried moving what once was my legs to see the lower half of my mutated body respond in the same manner my legs would. I nervously moved my tail slowly up to my face to check my facial features. I felt that my eyes were larger than normal, my head was smaller, an I had two fangs sticking out of my top jaw like a vampire. Putting two and two together, I realized that I had become a snake!

A snake Oogway? REALLY? I mean, yeah I know you said I'd not have the same body. BUT REALLY?! I don't even know what kind of bloody snake I'm meant to be!

My skin was gray with black spots along my back, as I soon figured out as I looked at my tail again, so that narrowed down the choices a bit. I was close to wanting to go insane but knowing that never solves anything, I decided to yell at the sky. Yeah because that's not as crazy, right?

"DAMN IT OOGWAY, IS THIS YOUR IDEA OF A JOKE?! YEAH REAL FUNNY! HA! HA! NOW WHAT THE HELL DO YOU EXPECT ME TO DO"!?

A snapping branch from behind caught my attention just before I could yell anything else. I turned round and saw a rhino. It walked on two legs instead of four and was covered in metal armor. It looked at me strangely before advancing, looking quite angry.

As much I wanted to run, or slither away, I didn't know how to. Snakes weren't exactly known for their speed either so even if I did know how to move, I wouldn't get far.

Soon enough, the rhino grabbed me by my throat and lifted me up to his height. Luckily he didn't grab hard enough to choke me but I did have a little trouble breathing.

"And who are you meant to be"? He asked harshly.

"Mike"! I said barely. By the way, I forgot to mention the name's Michael but everyone calls me Mike.

"Hmmm. Your name sounds interesting, like an interesting thing that is a name of interest. That is your name".

"...What"?

That made no sense at all! What did half of what he just said mean?

"I am heading towards a certain town where I plan to get revenge on a vile panda who has ruined my life. Turning it into nothing but a pit of anger and sadness of that which he has caused. Interested in helping"?

Honestly I wanted to say "F-word no" but I knew that if I did, my head would quickly,and painfully, be separated from the rest of my body in a matter of seconds.

"Why do you need my help exactly"? I asked. Surely he wouldn't hurt me for asking a simple question like that. I hope.

"You're a python you idiot! You can help me by crushing the opposition. Literally, in a crushing of pain and killing which will be painful".

A python? that's what I am now? Great. If I ever meet Oogway again, I'LL KILL HIM!

"So, are you in"? The rhino asked with a sinister smile. I eventually nodded.

"Good". That was all he said before walking in whatever direction he was originally heading before finding me. Oh, and he was still half strangling me too.  
I kept gasping for air which got his attention.

"Oh, sorry". He grabbed me by the chest. His hand fit all the way around my slender body. I guessed he didn't trust me all that much and was making sure I wouldn't wa-slither away.

All I could think at this point was "F-word my new life".


	2. Chapter 2

It had been five minutes. The rhino was still holding me in his hand. At this point it had nothing but silence. Mainly because I was too afraid to talk. However I tried my luck and spoke.

"So what's your name"?

The rhino looked at me as though I had just insulted him. My confidence suddenly vanished as quickly as it came. I was almost certain he was going to hurt me.

"Hundun". He said flatly.

Ok well at least he didn't hit me. Good start. I decided to press on.

"So, Hundun, why do you want revenge against this panda guy. Exactly what did he do"?

Hundun stopped walking. He turned my round so that I now faced him eye to eye. His hand moved over his horn and to my shock, he pulled it off like a bottle cap.

"He cost me my life, my family, my friends and also my pride". He stuck the fake horn back on and continued walking.

"But now he shall pay with his life that shall enlighten my life by ruining his life in a ruining type manner".

Seriously, why did he have to talk like that? It was so confusing! I got it, He wanted revenge. What was the need to add all the unnecessary gibberish afterwards? I decided to keep my mouth shut about it lest I provoked his wrath.

"...yeah okay... makes sense. I think"?

The rest of the journey, I didn't feel like speaking to Hundun. I felt as though I had already gotten on his bad side. The last thing I needed was to make him do something I would regret.

Soon enough he stopped walking and dropped me. I fell as a rope would and nearly accidentally tied myself in a knot.

"There it is". Hundun spoke with greater hostility in his voice. I looked at where he was pointing. There was a town not too far away from our location.

"There is where the dragon warrior lives. Now I shall have my revenge that shall fill the empty void in my life that is my soul".

I turned my head from the town back at him.

"Dragon warrior? I thought you said you were after a panda"?

"What are you, stupid? The panda IS the dragon warrior".

I wanted to say something but thought better. I just decided to go with it. Right now, f-word logic.

Hundun then began walking. Shit. I still don't know how to move in my snake form. I tried to pull my body along with my head. It seemed to work out well I had the sense to do it the first time, I would have done so at once. I moved enough to keep up with him, thank only downside was that the ground wasn't doing many favors for my stomach. It felt as though I was dragging myself on sandpaper.

Hundun looked back at me, noticing the pained look on my face.

"What's wrong"?

"Stomach ache". I lied. There had to be an easier way to move around as a had to!

Soon enough we entered the town. I saw many other animals in robes and gowns and such. Like Hundun, they walked on two legs as well and spoke english. We advanced further into the town. I dragged my body through the middle of town. As for Hundun, he was sneaking in and out of alleyways like a criminal, although that wouldn't surprise me if he actually was one.

I had no idea what I was supposed to be doing either. Exactly what was the plan supposed to be again? oh yeah, there wasn't one! I just crawled though the town slowly with my pained face like an idiot. I felt like one too. Some animals gave a friendly wave and I nodded in return.  
Eventually, I was suddenly grabbed by Hundun when I got too close to one of the alleyways. I nearly yelled out in terror it happened that quickly, only Hunduns hand covered by mouth as soon as he grabbed me.

"Now we wait patiently. In a manner of waiting patiently as we wait. That is done patiently".

I just rolled my eyes. He let go of me and walked to the alleyway entrance, looking round the corner for a second before pulling his head back before someone saw him.

"He is coming". Hunduns sinister smile returned.

By "He" I assumed he meant the panda dragon warrior...guy. I braced myself, unsure what to expect.

"He's not alone. You take the Monkey, I'll take the Panda".

"Wait wait wait. There's a monkey now? This isn't making sense at all! first you kidnap me, then you tell me you're after a panda, now you expect me to fight? I've never even fought my sister let alone another person".

Next thing I knew, Hundun grabbed me by the throat once more.

"Then you better learn fast".

Hundun then ran out into the open and hurled me as hard as he could into an orange fur monkey. We both fell to the floor.  
"Mother f...jka". I growled. I hit the monkey head first on the spot where Oogway had hit me with his staff. At this rate I was going to have my head split in half.

I quickly slithered off the monkey who pushed his long hands on the floor and used momentum to jump up, do a front flip and land next to the Panda who side kicked Hundun, forcing him back to my side.

The Panda spoke.

"Hundun". He greeted.

"Dragon warrior". Hundun responded.

The dragon warrior took a glance at me, with a look of confusion on his face.

"And...ummm... Snake...guy"?

Snake guy? Really?

"My name is Mike". I spoke calmly, showing no negative feelings towards the panda.

"Right, okay". He turned back to Hundun and got into some kind of kung fu stance. The monkey did the same but to me.

In my mind, I thought. "Shit".

In a second flat, I saw Hundun charge the Panda. I looked at the monkey and saw a black foot collide with my face.

I flew through the air at least ten feet before landing with a thud. I quickly slithered back onto my stomach and saw the monkey coming towards me at high speed.

Before I knew what he was planning to do, he jumped towards me. If he got his hands on me, I would be screwed.

Doing the only sensible thing I've done since becoming a snake, I simply hauled ass and took off in the opposite direction, not daring to look back. I turned the next corner, and discovered that turning gave me a speedy advantage.

I quickly put that thought to the test and slid slightly to the left before quickly moving to the right. It was working. I could feel myself moving faster, plus the pain on my stomach eased slightly.

Interesting how my life has suddenly changed now that I suddenly think. Half an hour ago I'm walking down the streets of Leeds, now I'm a snake being chased by a monkey while a rhino fights a panda in the middle of a town as well as having a splitting headache and a painful underbelly while a tortoise is most likely laughing at my , God must really hate me today.

There were different types of animals moving to get out of my way. Goats, ducks, pigs and so forth. I looked round to see the monkey gaining on me. I took another turn into an alleyway, taking my chances.

i could still hear the monkey, getting closer and closer, I turned to the left again, leaving the alleyway. The monkey almost had me, then I heard something thump and the monkey gave a groan of pain.

I stopped slithering and looked round to see Hundun with his fist stretched out and the monkey lying on his back, knocked out I think. Didn't take a genius to work out what happened. But if Hundun was there, where was...

I was grabbed from behind before I could finish my sentence, scaring me it was that sudden!

...Never mind.

"You might as well give up now Hundun, I have your evil lackey".

Lackey? Evil? I felt offended.

"Ummm... excuse me? Evil? I am not evil"! I argued.

The panda ignored me and stared at Hundun, hoping for him to back down. In my opinion, I didn't expect him to back down at all. I knew he would be much too stubborn. Even though I haven't known Hundun that long, yes, he was that predictable. However, Hundun sighed with an angered look on his face and knelt, keeping his face to the ground.

I wasn't expecting that. And neither did the panda judging by the look on his face. The panda walked over to Hundun. Big mistake.  
In a instant, Hundun grabbed the dragon warrior's wrist. He let me go, just in time before Hundun twisted round,put his other hand on the back of the pandas head and pushed into into the stone wall, leaving a huge crack mark. Dirty trick Hundun. Dirty trick.

Hundun turned his hateful glaze towards me once he was sure the panda was unconscious. I looked back at him, unsure what he wanted from me now.

"...Well, you have your revenge. Can I go now"? I asked hopefully.

"Of course not. I still have another use for you. Usefully".

Damn. I didn't actually believe that I would be let free but hey, worth a shot at least right? And now that I thought about it, where was the monkey? He was on the ground moments ago, now he's nowhere to be found.

"Where's the monkey"? I asked. Hundun checked the ground where he had left the monkey and realized that I was right. So much for him being unconscious.

"He must have gone to fetch help. We don't have long to do what I need to do, in a short time that isn't long so that we can do what I need from you".

"And exactly what would that be"?

"To kill the dragon warrior".

My heart nealy stopped upon hearing that. Kill? No, I would never take a life. I'm not a murderer! Also, didn't he say that HE was going to end this guys life? I thought he was being metaphorical!

"Why don't you do it"? Normally I would never encourage a murder but right now I had no choice.

"I want his death to be as painful as possible and what better way to kill the dragon warrior than to crush him to death, with his bones breaking in a painful way that is most unpleasant".

Right now, I was praying that the monkey would return with help quite soon. I mean, I know I'll be sent to prison but better that than to take a life.

"I... I won't". I said as confident as I could, gaining a small amount of my courage back.

"What"? Damn it, Hundun was walking up to me, forgetting all about the panda. "Where the hell is that monkey"? I wondered as my confidence began to shrink again. I quickly looked both left and right to see no one. Not even the villagers. Nice to know I had a good life.

"I said I won't do it". I raised my height until I was eye to eye with the ugly rhino as though becoming taller would help me. He snarled angrily and for the third time, grabbed me by the throat. This guy was going to have me breathing through a tube. If he wasn't about to kill me of course.

"I should have gotten rid of you while I had the chance". He raised his other hand and tightened it into a fist. I knew what was coming.  
I closed my eyes tightly. However as soon as I did, I was dropped to the ground with a thump.

I opened my eyes again to see Hundun being attacked by a bird in a straw hat. A little late for my liking but at least he was here. I also noticed that Hundun was trying to hold off... what I think was a cricket? It was too small and fast to tell.

Given the chance, I took my leave and sneaked into the closest alleyway I could find. I could hear the fight getting quieter. I must be far enough away. At least I could keep my thoughts to myself as I slithered down the narrow pathway, remembering to move to left then the right as I moved.

"This place is just... weird. So far I've been taken prisoner by a rhino who speaks english, been taken into a town where he has attacked a panda while a monkey chases me. Then, I stand my ground against him and all of a sudden, more animals come out of nowhere"!

Not exactly feeling much happiness here Oogway. Am I sure I haven't just been sent to hell? I hope not. I'm a religious person, minus the swearing, so that had to count for something.

"What else could possibly go wrong"?

Apart from being grabbed from behind as soon as I closed my big mouth? Nothing at all.

I instantly assumed that one of the animals had caught up with me. Or Hundun. Please let it be one of the animals that fought him.

I looked at the part of my body where I had been grabbed. A black slender hand held my chest.

Thank God. It was only the monkey

However my happiness was short lived as I felt two fingers squeeze my neck. I then fell unconscious.

Author notes: Hey everyone, thanks for reading the second chapter to this story. It's been fun writing it so far and there is plenty more to come. The next chapter will explain more about what has taken place in this chapter whether you're a fan of Kung Fu Panda or not. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed reading. Cheerio


	3. Chapter 3

I woke up and found myself staring at a dark ceiling with little to no light shining through the bars. Just like I predicted, I've been arrested. I hate it when I'm right.

I don't know why but I couldn't shake the fact that I was underground. Maybe because it was so dark or because of how moist it was, either way it didn't matter. What did matter was that I'm now locked up and probably sentenced ten years in the slammer for assault and attempted murder.

I then heard footsteps approach. My first thought was a guard but I could hear multiple voices. One of them sounded like... the panda? well eff me.

I slithered over to the floor and curled up, pretending to be asleep. Maybe they'll leave me alone. But right now, all I could do right now was wait and listen. The footsteps got closer and closer, then they stopped outside my cell judging by how close they sounded. Somebody else spoke. This voice was unknown to me.

"And you are certain that is what happened panda"?

"Yeah, I saw him stand up to Hundun. He was all like *You do your own job Hundun, you jerk*! And Hundun tried to knock his fangs out if Crane and Mantis hadn't shown up".

Despite all that I've been through so far, the panda's impression of myself was humorous. Still, it sounded as though they were discussing whether or not I was innocent. My humorous thoughts would be short lived.

"Perhaps we should ask him ourselves. Mantis, wake him up".

A second later, I felt something small and prickly jump onto my back and crawled up to my head. I kept my eyes closed and tried not to panic in case they knew that I was already awake. The mantis jumped off of my back and landed in front of me. The next thing I knew...

"WAKE UP"!

I felt something small but light slap me hard across the face, startling me enough to flinch and open my eyes. I immediately jerked my spine upwards, lifting my head into the air. I looked down and saw the mantis smirking at me, somewhat finding it funny that he just slapped me.  
"Okay, Sleeping beauty's awake Master Shifu". He hopped out of my line of sight and saw the Panda, the monkey, the mantis that just slapped me, and... some kind of raccoon like animal wearing orange robes. They were all looking at me with serious looks. Apart from the panda who looked curious, much like a small child would when seeing something new or strange.

The raccoon thing spoke.

"Greetings. I am master Shifu".

He then bowed in front of me, probably as a sign of respect. The last thing I wanted was to get into more trouble so I tilted my head forwards, returning the bow.

"Mike". I replied quickly.

He stared into my eyes. I felt a little creeped out by his own.

"Well then, Mike, would you be kind to explain why you were working partner with a dangerous criminal"?

Seems I was right. Hundun was a criminal.

"I wasn't exactly a partner. More along the lines of slave".

"Explain".

I began my story from meeting Hudun up to this point in time. I explained how he forced me into helping him, how he treated me, standing up to him when ordered to kill the panda. Everything else they already knew. The raccoon sighed and looked away.

"If this is true, then this complicates matters. Very well, we'll return when we've discussed the next step for you".

As Shifu left, the monkey and mantis followed him. The panda stayed however. I just ignored him and slithered into one of the back corners.  
"Nice to meet you...Mike. I'm Po".

I felt touched that the panda now known as Po, nice name by the way, was at least trying to treat me like a normal person as though I wasn't behind bars. However I chose to keep to myself. I watched as Po began waving his arms back and forth. I guessed that he was trying to think of something else to say.

"So... A python huh? Never seen one of you guys before in the valley of peace before".

I kept silent.

"Can I ask why you didn't try to... you know... kill me when you had the chance"?

This time I replied.

"I may be many things but I would never kill or hurt someone". I said without looking at him.

"...Thanks anyway. I owe you one". He said, giving a cheerful smile. He then left. I had the place to myself again. Seeing how I had nothing better to do, I tried to sleep the time away.

THIRTY MINUTES LATER.

At least half an hour had passed and I still haven't fallen asleep. Damn it I can never fall asleep when I want to! I then heard footsteps approach once more. I got up and faced the bars to see Shifu, Po, and the monkey walk up to my cell. I felt my heart racing. I was going to be sent to prison I just know it!

"After careful consideration, I have decided"...

I held my breath.

"That you are free to go".

I sighed in relief. I felt like I had won a car I was that happy.

"Thank you". I said happily.

"However". He continued.

Oh boy, that was never a good sign.

"I insist that you pay for the damage you have done to the valley of peace and it's citizens".

Pay for damage? What damage? The only damage I've done is to myself!

"And that would be"?

The raccoon walked closer to the cell door and unlocked it. He gestured for me to follow him. I did what he wanted while the monkey and Po stood on either side of me like police escorting a dangerous criminal. I looked at Po who shrugged, not knowing what was in store for me.  
I followed Shifu down the hallway, up stairs, through some thin corridors, some more stairs and then through a circular wooden door and into a green hallway filled with weapons, armor and God knows what else.

I heard some heavy breathing to my right and looked. Po was exhausted, which was strange because we weren't even walking for long.  
"Just gimme a second... to catch my breath... uhh...whew. Okay, I'm good".

I looked at him oddly.

"What? That was a lot of stairs okay"?

I rolled my eyes and turned my attention back to Shifu.

"Do you know where we are"?

I shook my head.

"This is the Jade Palace, home to the Furious five and built on honor and respect".

"Ahem". Shifu and I turned our heads to Po who pointed to himself.

Shifu let out an annoyed sigh and I turned back round to him.

"And is home to the Dragon warrior".

"The most bodaciously awesome warrior in the land"! Po yelled dramatically, causing me to flinch. I also took note that one of Shifu's big ears twitched.

"Yeah, honor. Got it". That earned me a harsh glare from Shifu. I looked down as to say sorry. The monkey laughed behind me. Glad to hear that someone's having a good time.

"As I was saying, your punishment. Before I explain what you will be doing, know that this punishment is optional".

An optional punishment? who gives an optional punishment? That like killing someone and then asking the murderer if they would like to go to prison.

"Okay... And my punishment is"?

"To train here, at the jade palace".

... That's the punishment? seriously? I was expecting to be thrown in stocks and get pelted with rotten fruit, but this? How is that even a punishment?!

"Why would you ask me to train here"? I needed to ask.

"After hearing your story, I could tell that there is good in you. You stood up for the dragon warrior at the risk of your own life. I obviously misjudged you. You have potential which if given true meaning, could change your life and the valley of peace for the better future".

Oogway's final few words popped into my head as soon as I heard the words "Better future". Maybe that was what he meant by bringing happiness to myself and others.

"So, what is your choice"?

Me training to become a warrior? That may take some time. I tried thai boxing once and ended up nearly breaking my hand. Although I no longer have hands. Or feet. That will take some time to get used to itself. But then again, if I said no then what would I have left in this world? I don't know where I even am and I doubt I wont come across another generous offer like this. Hmmm...

"Python, what is your decision"?

I snapped out of my train of thought and focused back to Shifu. I gave my answer with no hesitation.

"I accept your... punishment". Still finding it hard to see it as a punishment. Shifu gave a small smile towards me.

"Excellent. You'll begin tomorrow. In the mean time, I suggest you familiarize yourself with the others training here. You already know Po". He then gestured his skinny hand over to Po. I looked and saw him smiling and waving one of his hands at me as to say hello. I waved my tail back at him in response before turning to Shifu, who was now gone. How he did that, I don't know but at this point, I've given up trying to work things out for myself. I just went with it.

"If you don't mind, I think I'll just take a walk for the time being". I said.

"You sure you want to do that"? The monkey spoke calmly. First time I've heard him talk, he sounded much like someone I knew.

"Yeah, I have somethings to think about".

And with that, I slithered out of the huge wooden doors, through the entrance and found myself in front of more stairs. I slithered down them quickly and eventually reached the bottom. I looked round from where I stood. There were more stairways leading off in different directions. I then looked in front of me and admired the view. I could see the village at the bottom, mountains to the far north and the bamboo forest where I had first arrived.

I stopped my sightseeing and ascended up the stairway to my right. These stairs didn't take as long as the other one and soon enough I found myself coming up to a long rectangular hut and opened the front entrance. I found a long thin hallway with several doors on either side. The first door on the left was double wide unlike all the others. I checked the first room, the one with the double doorway. It looked a lot like a kitchen. I also found the bird with the straw hat from the village as well as a green snake inside cooking. What kind of snake, I didn't know. I barely figured out what kind I was, thanks to Hundun.

I decided to slither past before they noticed me. I know that Shifu said to familiarize myself with others, but that would come later. Right now I just wanted to look round and explore the sights for myself while I could.

I traveled to the end of the rather thin hallway and check the door on my right. I opened it and found a small square room with a bed made out of bamboo and wool. I guessed that I was in the barracks, where soldiers live. It reminded me of that one time I tried work experience with the army for a week, just that here, it was cleaner.

I turned round to take my leave, but heard the two in the kitchen speak. I barely heard the word "python" so I guessed that they were talking about me. I slithered over to the side of the door and listened.

"Yeah, one minute he was there, the next he took off into the alleyway! I'm telling you viper, guilty people don't run".

"Still, I'd prefer to hear what Shifu has to say. But I suppose it wouldn't hurt to keep an eye on him".

"I'll try and see if I can get anything from him. Just in case. Remember what happened with those dancing umbrella ladies".

Sounded like they didn't trust me. Maybe the snake but even that was a long shot. I sneaked out the front door the moment they weren't looking. I took one look at the door. Obviously I have a lot of animals to trust me if I wanted to stay here. I could only imagine how friendly everybody else was. I soon found out not very much so once I found a tiger in front of me the moment I turned back round, making me jump. I swear, everybody is trying to scare me to death!

The tiger looked me up and down. The look on her face seemed to say "I don't like you one bit". It didn't stop me from speaking first though.

"...Hi"? Smooth.

"You do realize you don't belong here"? She spoke with no sweetness in her voice. If only she knew how right her words were.

"Shifu seems to say otherwise". I replied. After what I had to put up with Hundun, this tiger girl wasn't as bad. Least she didn't seem like it.

"Regardless, the jade palace is for warriors. The best of the best. Not for someone like you".

"Maybe not. But that doesn't mean to say that a python can't change for the better". I argued calmly while giving her my own look which meant to say. "I'm not in the mood for this". She just narrowed her eyes.

"We'll see".

She then walked past me, nearly bumping into me, and into the barracks. Yeah, real friendly bunch of people here. I then left the barracks behind me and decided that enough was enough. No more sight seeing. If everyone had something to say about me I might as well get it out of the way with. I went to see Po and the monkey.

I headed back up through the huge stairway, back to the artifact room or whatever the place was called, and through the front doors. While I did, I sung a song in my head. "Lose yourself to dance" which was, yeah, fitting for a place that looked like it belonged to the dark ages but I'd rather hang onto some sort of memory while here to keep me sane.

I noticed that Po was still in the room. He then waddled over to me, somewhat excited. At least he was trying to make an effort with me. Something I appreciated. He walked with me at my side. I didn't see the monkey anywhere in sight. He must have already left.

"So, how'd it go"?

What was he- oh right. The little "get along with everyone" routine Shifu has me on.

"It was interesting. The only one I officially met was a tiger with an attitude problem". To my surprise, Po gave a chuckle at this.

"Yeah, that's Tigress for you. Don't worry she'll warm up to you... Maybe". That maybe didn't sound too promising. Oh well. Let her be I suppose. It's not like I have to be friends with everyone.

"Yeah maybe". I said sarcastically.

"Thats the spirit"! Po said happily, not catching my sarcasm. I continued.

"I also came across a bird and a snake. I didn't exactly say hello. They didn't even know I was there. I just listened in to what they had to say about me".

"Anything good"?

"Nope". I said flatly. "At least you're trying to get along with me so that's a good start". I then gave him a friendly smile. The only one I've offered to anybody, except maybe Oogway. Then a thought came into my head.

"Thanks Bud. Say, I've been hoping to ask lately. What happened to Hundun"?

Po frowned. That wasn't a good sign.

"He managed to escape". I hoped that he wouldn't be returning anytime soon but I did feel worried upon hearing that response.

"...That sucks".

"Yeah it does".

Before I could say anything else. We saw somebody enter the hallway. It was the bird in the hat. Shit, I hope he didn't work out that I was listening in on his conversation earlier. If he already knew, he did well to hide any anger. Also, if he was here already then he must have left the barracks shortly after myself.

"Hey Po".

"Hey Craniac".

"Can I talk with your friend a second"?

"Yeah sure". Po said uncertainly.

I didn't like where this was going but complied and slithered over to him, keeping my eyes on him as he did with me. I decided to get straight to the point.

"Can I help you"? I accidentally made myself sound hostile towards him. Plus I think I also just hissed. Weird.

He opened his beak, but shut it upon noticing that Po was right in front of us, listening in.

"Po, I meant in private".

"Don't worry Crane. I'll make sure no one listens in". I smirked at Po's obvious attempt to hear what Crane had to say.

"Po, just leave us".

"Oh, alright then. Geez so serious".

As he left, I heard Po mutter to himself before becoming too distant for us to hear him and finally left.

I turned my attention back to Crane and gestured for him to speak.

"Look, I need to ask. Why were you with Hundun when we found you"? Like Shifu, Crane was poking around for answers as well as I heard him tell the snake earlier. I didn't have time for this.

"Shifu knows everything already. Would it not be easier asking someone you can trust"? I turned round to leave. The second I tried, Crane was blocking my way. He continued.

"I'm not trying to interrogate you if that's what you think, I would just feel better if I knew. That's it. Once you answer I'll leave you alone".

I sighed. Seemed that I would need to explain the story... again.

So once I finished telling the story for the second time, yada yada yada, Crane looked me in the eye. He was doing that throughout the whole explanation and it wasn't making it any easier on me. A few seconds of awkward silence passed, well awkward to me at least, and he spoke again, not as tense as he was before.

"Alright. I believe you".

"Okay, I underst- wait. You believe me? Just like that"? I must say, I didn't expect him to believe me at all.

"Just like that. I can tell when someone is lying and you weren't".

That must have been why he was looking at my eyes the whole time, looking for any twitch or movement that would have made it seem like I was lying. Clever.

"Well for what it was worth, glad to have helped ease the tension".

"Yeah, thanks...". I think he was hanging on to hear my name.

"Mike".

"Thanks Mike. I'd better let the others know your story. Guess I'll see you tomorrow".

And just like that, he flew out through one of the side entrances at the end of the hall. Guess I shouldn't have judged a book by its cover. Of course I can't say the same for everybody else just yet. Still, with Crane carrying the story on, there would be no need to repeat myself a third time.

I left back to the barracks. The sun was setting. I wasn't even sure how long I had been knocked out for before, it could have been hours until I woke up. Pushing the thought from my head, a new one replaced it. Where would I be sleeping? Shit, I should have asked that when I had the chance. I suppose I could check if there was an empty room in the barracks. Hopefully they wouldn't mind too much if I am now meant to be training here.

About ten minutes passed before I reached the barracks once more. The sun had nearly disappeared past the mountains. I opened the door and slithered to the very end of the hallway and checked the doorway on the right, the same I looked at earlier on when snooping around. It would do for tonight. I rested on top of the bed and closed my eyes. Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day.

That's another chapter finished. Next time, first day of training. Which brings me to another point. I'll be submitting my chapters on the weekends because I'll be too busy with college midweek. However It may mean that I will be able to write longer chapters so think of it as a bonus. Hope you enjoyed reading this chapter.

P.S. I know that Shifu is actually a red panda, but Mike doesn't know that just yet ;)


	4. Chapter 4

*DONG*

A large bell had woken me up. Holy hell, that thing reminded me of my old alarm clock! The only difference was that with the bell I couldn't punch it and throw it into the wall to shut it up. I heard several doors open from the outside and multiple voices talking in unison.  
"Good morning master Shifu".

Oh right, I'm in the barracks. Do any of them know I'm even in here? My question was answered upon seeing the door to my room open with only Shifu standing in the doorway. I looked across and noticed that the room opposite mine was open, showing Po sleeping. I think I heard him mention something about "dumplings", whatever those are.

Thinking fast, I did what everybody else had done and greeted him.

"Good morning master Shifu". I spoke before bowing. I opened my eyes and saw Shifu raising one of his rather large eyebrows. I just grinned nervously, not knowing what else to say.

"For the future, I expect you to wake up and greet your master faster Python". Shifu said as though he was a drill sergeant from the army.

"My apologies Master".

Shifu checked the other room that Po was in. I held in a small laugh when Shifu hit Po on the head to wake him. He then turned back to me.

"Though I shall admit, you wake up much quicker than... others". I nodded and allowed Shifu to pass me. I watched him walk out of the barracks before checking on Po.

"Are you alright Po? That whack on the head looked painful". I asked, concerned.

"Eh, don't worry about it. I've had worse wake up calls". He responded while rubbing his head.

"So now what, are we meant to begin our training"?

"Pfft. Only if you're Tigress. Besides, this'll be a great chance for you to meet the others"! Po seemed somewhat excited at this. I on the other hand, not so much.

"Yes well, I'm not too sure about that Po".

"It'll be fine. I got your back playa".

I was a little reluctant but I made my way to the front of the hallway and turned to the right, into the kitchen, seeing all the warrior animals I saw yesterday. Needless to say I was a little nervous. At least I knew that Po and Crane were with me. Tigress, no chance in hell. Everyone else, guess I was about to find out.

I made my way over to the nearest chair, next to the other snake. Po sat at the front of the table and everyone took notice of my presence. This just made me even more nervous. It didn't take long for one of them to say something.

"So we're keeping criminals with us in the barracks now"?

"MANTIS"! Scolded Crane.

Okay, not the best start ever.

"Yeah, ease up bud". The monkey spoke up. Mantis scoffed.

"Just saying".

"I'm not a criminal. I never have been". I defended myself.

"If you say so". Great. Make that two for the hate team.

"Hundun tried to force me to kill Po and I didn't okay? The least you could do is show a little respect".

"Yeah, could but won't".

I hissed in irritation. I was passed a plate from the Monkey who then set a bowl of... round dough balls, I think that was what they were, in the middle of the table. Everybody except myself and Tigress took a couple each. Tigress didn't because she was already eating some rather small cubes. I didn't take any because the dough balls didn't look very delicious.

"What's wrong Mike, don't you like bean buns"?

"Hm? Oh, sorry. I've never really had one of these... bean buns before".

Everyone had a mix of either interest, curiosity, or in Po's case, pure shock.

"WHAT"?! He blurted out, scaring me. "How have you never tried a bean bun before. They're like the best breakfast food ever"!

Before I could reply, Po took one of the bean buns and put it down on the plate in front of me. I looked at Po to see that he was nearly begging for me to try one. I sighed and wrapped my tail around the bean bun and took a small bite put of it.

There wasn't much to say about the bun. It was... chewy... I'd say was the best word for it. Slightly dry but apart from that, not bad.

"Tastes fine to me".

Po smiled as though he had just been told that he had won the lottery. Everyone seemed satisfied that I had at least tried.

"See? It's not bad at all". Po spoke happily. I just went "Meh" And continued to finish off the bean bun.

"So I hear you're joining us for training"? The green snake besides me asked. I just looked up from my food and nodded.

"Yeah, seems so. Can't wait to see me make a fool out of myself". Most of the warriors gave a small chuckle at this.

"Yeah well, I remember how my first day went". Po spoke proudly.

"And how did it go"? I asked. Everybody looked ready to burst with laughter upon remembering that day, except Tigress. Damn, she's really anti-social.

"It... had it's ups and downs". Po admitted, not wanting to go into too much detail. I decided just to leave it at that.

Needless to say that the rest of breakfast was quiet around me. I just kept to myself until I heard another bell sound off.

Everyone left the table and out through the front door. I followed. We took a different set of stairs up to a different structure surrounded by a wall. We entered and I saw weapon cases for spears, boards, several platforms and other kinds of training equipment. Everybody kept walking past the gear and into building ahead. I did the same.

Inside were spinning cylinder platforms that spun, a green bowl, past that was what I counted to be sixteen carved posted with arms. They looked quite loose as though even the slightest touch would cause them to spin. Beyond that was a few hundred short pipes sticking up from the ground. You could easily walk on it if you wanted.

I saw Shifu to the left of myself and the rest of the group. He then spoke.

"Good morning students. Today, seeing how we have a new arrival with us, you are free to do whatever type of training you wish".  
Po raised his hand up into the air.

"No Po, sleeping in the Jade tortoise does not count towards your training".

Po lowered his hand, only to raise it shortly after.

"Or empty belly defense". Seriously? He just ate.

"During your routine of training. I hope that you will help our new student to learn and prosper. I trust you not to let me down".

Everyone then bowed. As did I one second after everyone else.

Shifu opened the floor to us and everybody did their own training. Po stayed with me and showed me what I should start with first. I wasn't amused.

"You can't be serious Po".

He had set up a red and yellow training dummy for me on the left side of the training room.

"Why not? This is how I started off".

"Po, this is the sort of thing I'd expect children to use"!

"Trust me on this".

I looked at the dummy's painted on face. I sighed and whacked it with my tail. Needless to say there was nothing to it.

"...Am I done with this thing? I think I've already mastered beating a dummy".

Po sighed and let me see the others train. I remained on the walkway and saw everyone taking on the course no problem.

Soon enough, one of them decided to help me out with one of the more... advanced methods of training compared to Po's. Crane flew up to the walkway and landed right besides Po.

"Po, I'm certain Mike already knows how to pull off a tail whack. Tell you what, I'll take it from here".

Po sighed. "Fine".

"Thanks for the help Po". I said politely. Give him a little credit, he was just trying to help. I followed Crane into the training arena. The floor was covered in sand. He flew onto the green tortoise and I jumped up, nearly losing my balance once I landed on the rim. Crane then began to explain what it was we would be doing.

"Now, The jade tortoise of wisdom is meant to help us learn to control our balance. So what we will be doing is to try and stay on the rim of the Tortoise for as long as you can before you lose you balance".

I nodded, showing that I understood. However the moment I did, Crane flew off the jade tortoise, causing it to shift towards my side. I nearly lost my balance already. The tortoise rocked back and forth a few more seconds before coming to a stand still. Least that wasn't so bad. That's what I thought until Crane landed back on the bowl with a thump, causing it to rock even more. This time I fell inside of the tortoise.

"Not a bad first try, but could be better". Said Crane as though he was the teacher. I guess he was to me. I just bowed and jumped back on the rim.

This same routine lasted another four times until I could make it a full minute without falling. Not a bad start for my first day of training.  
For the second phase of the training was with Viper. Because I was a python, master Shifu explained that I would be working with her for most of my training until I could manage on my own. For now however, she was explaining the pipes to me. Turns out they spit fire. Fantastic.  
"The key to the fire pit is to sense when and where the heat will strike". She then demonstrated by slithering onto the middle of the pipes and waited patiently. A few seconds later she twisted her body to the right just as a line of fire shot out of the pipe she was previously sitting on. It shot up seven feet high. So if I couldn't do this. I would be served with hot sauce at a barbecue.

Viper jumped off the pipes and landed back onto the ground. She urged me to try. I froze up for a second but got my bearings and slithered onto the middle where she had previously been. She gave a friendly nod and I waited. I could feel nothing at first. Then I felt the heat rising slowly, then fast. I moved my body and twisted it to the right, doing exactly what Viper had done. However, once the fire burst out of the pipe, I flinched and fell. It was much scarier watching the fire shoot up right beside you okay? Needless to say it only happened that one time.  
Anyway, I fell over and crawled off the pit. I felt a little embarrassed for being a wuss.

"Are you okay"? Viper asked in concern, despite suppressing a giggle with her tail. I nodded.

"I'm fine". I nearly snapped.

I tried to give it another go after a few minutes had passed. It was basically the same thing. Train with one pipe, dodge the fire and repeat. I kept flinching two more times from the fire until I got control of my nerves. Surprisingly it became easier than it looked but that was with one pipe. I wasn't sure what would happen if I was to avoid multiple flaming pipes but I bet it wouldn't be long until I found out for myself.  
The next phase of training came along. Let me just say that I think i prefer facing the fire pipes again after having to be trained by Tigress. Why she decided to train me, I don't know. I was too afraid to ask. Seriously.

She went through a quick explanation of how we would be sparring, guess I found out the reason. To kick the shit out of me. And she pretty much did. All I will say about it is that her methods of training, you don't walk away unscathed. By the time I had finished with her, I had bruises all over.

The sparring itself, it started off well, simple dodging and blocking at first. Then it got faster and faster. Then it came to me doing the attacking. I tried pulling off some punches. Nothing to do with flipping or spinning like everybody else could. The next step however, this is how I got the bruises. We were both going to attack.

Long story short, She got almost every single hit on me and I didn't even get one on her. By the end of the session she was disappointment. She then spoke. Coldly.

"You need to improve. And fast if you want to keep training here".

She left me be. I slithered away and decided to see how Po was getting along. I found him over at the wooden blocks that spun round. He was doing quite well until one managed to hit him. That was when he lost his concentration, allowing more than half the wooden arms to hit him, and not lightly either. Once he stepped out, I noticed that he seemed happy.

"Are you ok Po"? I asked from the side of him.

"Yeah, I'm good. I think I'm getting better at those thingies".

Better? If that was better, I would have hated to see his first attempt at it. However that didn't stop me from trying the blocks. Po left me, saying something about sticky dumplings. Sometimes, I wondered if Po did anything other than eat and sleep.

I decided to start off with two at the side. I quickly learned that the wooden arms spun round fast. Very fast. I managed to block most of the blows well enough, using my tail and back. The hits that got me however hurt. Not as bad as Tigress I will admit but still, ow.

I stuck with the two same carved blocks until I felt satisfied with myself. My best result was blocking every single arm for three full minutes. After that, one hit me in the back of the head. I decided to take a breather and slithered back onto the walkway.

Unknown to me, Shifu was headed in my direction. He stopped at the side of me and spoke the moment I least expected it.

"A restful spirit is a defenseless spirit, Python".

I took notice of him at once. I think he was ordering me to continue my training. I felt exhausted and it had only been twenty minutes. I hoped that this wouldn't go on for too long. I apologized and threw myself back into the arena, despite my body being in pain.

Another twenty minutes passed and Shifu tapped his stick onto the ground once. Everybody sped off from what they were doing and instantly stood in front of Shifu. I eventually arrived five seconds later, taking my place next to Monkey.

Excellent work students. Especially you python".

I smiled at this. Trying to breath in and out slowly to make it look like I was fine. The noise I made breathing was a dead giveaway, embarrassing myself. To be fair, I felt like I had run a marathon. I wasn't exactly all that fit, but that could change if I continue with all the training I've done today, except maybe sparing. My thoughts were interrupted then Shifu spoke with anger.

"Where is Po"?

Crap. He must still be eating those bean buns. Against my better judgement, I told Shifu.

"I think he mentioned something about bean buns".

Shifu let out an annoyed sigh as though he expected something like this to happen.

"Very well. You all may leave. And if you see Po, tell him that I wish to speak to him at once".

We all bowed and left the training room at once. The doors closed behind us and everyone began to talk. Mantis started off.

"Man, I thought that training session would never end".

"Oh come on Mantis, it wasn't any different from any other training we've done". Scolded Viper.

"Actually Shifu does push us harder than that. Guess we got lucky thanks to Mike".

Everybody except Tigress nodded in agreement. I blushed from the praise. Monkey soon brought spirits down.

"Yeah well, hope you enjoyed it while it lasted. You know he's just gonna push us just as hard later on".

"You train twice in one day"? I asked wide eyed.

"Three times. One each after breakfast, lunch and dinner". Crane explained.

"If I were you, I would just back out and save myself from being embarrassed". Tigress spoke up at last. Her comment directed at me. I decided to speak back.

"I wouldn't expect your first day of training to go so perfect". Tigress stopped walking and stepped up to me. I think I just kicked the hornets nest.

"Maybe not, but have you trained your entire life since you were five years old"?

"...I can't say that I have. But I never had the chance to, unlike yourself".

"Then you have a lot of catching up to do".

I hissed and slithered out of the courtyard ahead of everybody else. I just hated people judging me off the bat. It always got under my skin. I hurried down the stairs and headed in the direction of the barracks. Before I could even touch the first step, I heard someone from behind. I didn't bother to look and ascended up the first stair.

"Mike, can I talk to you"?

I could tell that the voice belonged to viper. I guess she wanted a snake to snake talk.

"There's nothing to talk about. Tigress just spoke her mind and I overreacted".

I turned round to see her standing a few feet away from myself.

"She still had no right to say what she said".

"Of course she does. It's a simple act of freedom. No one except herself can speak her mind for her".

Viper hissed in a scolding manner at me.

"And what about you? Are you happy with being judged right off the bat"?

"I've dealt with it many times. What is one more"?

"It's another insult that will hurt you if you let it".

I sighed, mostly because she spoke the truth. I didn't let her know about that though. I felt much like a child being told off by their mother.

"Regardless, what happens happens".

Viper looked down for a moment before looking back up to me.

"Then I hope you push past it". That was the last thing she said before slithering off, leaving me with my thoughts.

"I hope so too". I then headed back to the barracks. I had some serious thinking to do.

...

Authors notes: I know I said I wasn't going to post another chapter until the weekend, but I had to get this one out. It just cut in too well. Also, before anyone gets the wrong idea, no there won't be any romance between Mike and Viper, but they will have a deeper understanding of each other than anyone else like the talk to talk at the end of this chapter. Well that's all for now. The next chapter will be posted this weekend. For real this time ^^


	5. Chapter 5

I made my way into the barracks and found Po sitting in the kitchen. He was eating the last few bean buns that were left over from breakfast. I smirked and slithered over. I decided to tell him that Shifu wanted him.  
"Hey Po".  
Po turned round, his mouth was filled with food so the only response I got was along the lines of "Mmmmpfh mm"!  
I laughed at this. I needed something to make me do so after what happened a short while ago.  
"Anyway, Shifu is looking for you. He knows you skipped half of the training".  
Po nearly choked and ran out of the room, thanking me for the heads up with another "mhmff".  
"No problem buddy". I replied as I watched him race down the stairs, nearly falling as he did. Once he was out of sight I headed to my own room and lay down in my bed. What I wouldn't give for some blankets. The bed was so cold you would have thought it was made of ice.  
I didn't try to sleep. I just stared at the ceiling, listening to the wind outside. It was peaceful. I closed my eyes and pictured myself sleeping in my own bed, in my own house back on earth. I missed it. A lot. But my place was here now whether I didn't want it or not. Maybe I should have just picked-  
*Knock* *Knock*  
My thoughts were interuptted by someone knocking on my door. No peace for the wicked right? I got up and moved over to the door. I imagined that it was Viper again, trying to help. As much as I appreciated her trying to make me happier, I felt better on my own. I would just tell her to leave, politely of course.  
I opened the door. I was surprised to find Crane standing on the other side. Still, it didn't change anything. I opened my mouth to ask him to leave. However, he beat me to it.  
"Hey Mike. I just came to talk about what happened earlier".  
I sighed, knowing that none of these guys were going to let go of what happened so easily. Still I held my ground on my original thoughts.  
"I'm fine. Don't worry about it". I tried to close the door but Crane just put his foot between the door and the lock. Why did he always insist on doing things the hard way?  
"You don't seem all too fine to everyone else". Crane opened the door again. "We just don't want to see you beat yourself up is all".  
"I'm flattered but with respect, I can deal with my own problems".  
"...Well okay, if you're sure. We'll all be down in the valley if you need us". Crane left. I was alone once again.  
As the minutes passed, my boredom grew. In my mind, I could hear a clock going TICK TOCK. I couldn't stand it anymore and exited the room, exited the barracks. I figured a walk would help calm myself down so I traveled up to the artifacts room.  
I entered the hall, walked down the stairs through the door on the left and found a small room with wooden walls, floor and a wooden ceiling. There, several artifacts balanced on stone stands. To the left of me, two sets of wooden stockings. One was much smaller than the other. But what caught my interest was the cupboard at the very back of the room. I couldn't help but slither over and look closely at it. I then used my tail to check the handles. The doors seemed unlocked.  
I opened it up to find a mirror covered with a thick cloth. I could hear whispering coming from under the cloth. I couldn't understand what it was saying but it sounded like it was saying something along the lines of "Double the trouble". What did that mean? I paid no attention and lifted the cloth off to see my own reflection. There, I could see what my face looked like for the very first time. My eyes were yellow with red irises and black pupils. My fangs were a decent size. a couple of inches long. At least that seemed decent for a snake I think. And... the mirror is glowing. Why is it glowing? I heard laughter that sounded much like myself but in an evil way. I backed away but before I could. A bright light blinded me.

GOOD MIKE POV  
I woke up at last. My head was spinning. What happened? I looked to see the cupboard was still open. I panicked, thinking that someone could find out that I was down where I shouldn't be. I quickly closed the doors to the cupboard and left at once. Perhaps I should go and make soup for everyone when they return from their trip to the jade palace. It is quite a cold day after all. I hurried to the kitchen in hopes that there was enough ingredients to make soup for everyone.

BAD MIKE POV (Bad mike comes out of the mirror a few minutes after good Mike has left)  
As I left the Jade palace artifact room, I felt furious. More so than when I entered the room. I mean, how could I not? Tigress thinks she's such a big shot! Picking on me just because I'm the new guy! I swear I should just strangle her if she bothers me again. hmmm, that's a charming thought.  
As I slithered down the stairs, I saw the oh so great kung fu losers walk up the stairs. I noted that Tigress was looking at me. I gave her a nasty scowl in return and made my way to the barracks. I didn't care whether she had something to say to me or not. I was just not in the mood for any of her bull shit! I entered the barracks and made my way to my bed. I slammed the door and tried to get to sleep. Only to become bored almost instantly, that and something was gnawing at the back of my head.

GOOD MIKE POV  
Luckily, there was more than enough supplies in the closet for a huge bowl of soup. Perfect! I decided to get started at once. I got the bowl from under the shelves and begun. As soon as I begun, I heard someone come in. It was obviously a snake so it must have been Viper. I didn't expect her to be back so early. I wanted to say hello but thought better. She might have been busy. I found myself wrong as I heard one of the doors slam shut with a great amount of force. Dear me, she must still be angry after our little talk from earlier.  
I suppose I should have been more considerate. I should see how she is later. Again, I heard the same door down the hallway open. Wow, she was certainly moving around fast today. Again, I heard the door to the barracks shut again, just as loud as last time. Poor Viper. I can only imagine how hard it is to be a kung fu master. Anyway, I better get started. That soup isn't going to make itself.

BAD MIKE POV  
For Gods sake, I can't just sit here! I need to do something! Maybe I can watch Po get yelled at by Shifu. That'll be fun.  
I got up and left. I heard clattering pots in the kitchen. I didn't bother checking out. The door was closed and I could see Vipers silhouette. Looks like she's cooking. Good thing too cause I'm getting rather hungry. I best come back after seeing Po cry like a little baby in front of Shifu.  
I left the barracks at once. Slamming the door again. I swear if I keep doing that it's going to break. Oh well, not my problem. Anyway, as I made my way back to the training hall, I ran into that stupid tiger! She wasn't happy, but when was she ever? You think smiling would kill her or something! Actually, that would be interesting to see. My "pleasant" thoughts were interrupted.  
"Want to explain why you just scowled at me earlier"? She asked, leaning in to my face. God, would it kill her to brush her teeth? Or maybe that was just her body odor.  
"Don't pretend to be the victim here"! I began. "You're the one who thinks she's oh so special. Why don't you do me a favor and get your face out of my way"?!  
For this I received a snarl. Yup, it's certainly her breath that stinks.  
"Oh growl yourself! Now if you'll excuse me, I got to go throw up. Your face is that much scarier and uglier up close"!  
I slithered round her and let her fume. Glad to get that out of my system. I almost feel sorry for the idiot who has to face her wrath. Almost. HAHAHA!

GOOD MIKE POV  
I heard laughter from outside. Sounds like somebody is having a good time. I let them be and mixed all the ingredients together.  
A moment later, I heard the door slam open. Both the entrance to the barracks, then the kitchen. I turned round to see Tigress. She seemed shocked when she noticed me and then became quite mad. I guess the poor dear was still angry about our little fight from earlier. I suppose I should apologize.  
"Hello Tigress. How are you feeling"?  
The response I got was not exactly friendly.  
"I don't know who you think you are, but you have no right to talk to me like that"!  
"Oh, sorry. Was my tone too harsh"?  
As fast as lightning, she grabbed me by the throat and curled her other paw into a fist. I guess I deserved what was coming next. I hadn't realised I had upset her so much. However, she waited a few seconds and dropped me to the ground.  
"That was a warning! If you're smart, you won't come anywhere near me for the rest of the day".  
She then left me and went into her own room. Goodness, she certainly was moody. And no wonder, I would be just as cranky if I ate just a few cubes at breakfast. I'd best make sure I give her a large bowl of soup.  
I continued to mix the ingredients.

BAD MIKE POV  
HAHAHA! Oh that was rich, to see that wretch foaming at the mouth! I should try insulting her more often!  
I made my way to the training hall, up the stairs and into the training room. My god you think it would kill these idiots to have an elevator installed! I'm nearly out of breath climbing those damn steps so many times!  
I looked round, no sign of the flabby panda or the pint sized raccoon. I must have missed them. Oh well, I'll just have to make Po cry again later. I decided to leave but found big beak and flower head, aka Crane and Viper making their way into the training hall. Can't these disease ridden pests leave me alone for one day?  
"Hey Mike. Is everything okay, you seem a little"... Crane began.  
"Out of line is what he is right now Crane. Tigress told me about him scowling earlier at her. Unnecessary".  
"Yes Viper, I was there when it happened". Crane argued.  
Good God these guys love to whine to each other don't they?  
"Oh boo hoo hoo I pulled a face at the big bad tiger. I don't know why you bother sticking your necks out for that flea bag! I would just throw her down the palace stairs first chance I got"!  
That seemed to piss them off because, Viper quickly slithered right up to me and poked my chest while speaking.  
"Hey, you don't know Tigress like we do! She's done more for us than you think"!  
"Oh yes of course, I can imagine. Watching her attack every new face that walks by her. That does sooo much for you I'm sure"!  
Now Crane decided to stick his big beak into the conversation.  
"Hey, lay off Mike. She's just trying to solve the conflict"!  
"HA! Is that what you call this"? I knocked Vipers tail to the side after poking me for the hundredth time. "I'm simply standing up for myself and you both decide to attack me! I'm out of here"!  
I slithered back up the stairs. Now it was my turn to be pissed off. Those fools just decide to stick together and push anyone different from them aside! Well, it seems that I'll need to make some changes around here.

GOOD MIKE POV  
Darn it all! I forgot to get the sauce for the soup. I checked every single shelf and cupboard I could see. There was nothing in sight. Perhaps I should ask Po where it is. He said that he does the cooking around here usually.  
I slithered out of the doorway and down the stairs. I thought I heard something from behind can looked round to see nothing. Must have been my imagination. I was so distracted, I accidentally slithered into someone. Hard. I moved back. The hit had forced me to close my eyes for a few seconds, during that time, I tried to apologies to the person I had hit.  
"Oh goodness, I'm so sorry. I should have been looking where I was going".  
"And you should be too you clumsy oaf"!  
I opened my eyes and... standing in front of me was myself? He opened his eyes and stopped rubbing his head the moment he saw me. We both spoke in unison.  
"What the...".  
"...Heck"?  
"...Hell"?

BAD MIKE POV  
PAH! Insolent whelps! All of them! I was too wound up in my own fury to even care about my surroundings. I paid for it as some stupid bastard walked into me, hitting me on the head. Bloody hell it hurt too! I shut my eyes from the pain and rubbed the spot of my head which had been hit. The next thing I knew, the guy who should have watched his step apologized.  
"Oh goodness, I'm so sorry. I should have been looking where I was going".  
Whoever this guy was sounded like a real mommas boy. I then spoke back.  
"And you should be too you clumsy oaf"!  
I opened my eyes, ready to lash out but instead, I saw another me!  
"What the hell"? I asked myself out loud.  
I looked closer, remembering my own features in the mirror from earlier. This impostor had every single detail. Even the fangs were the same size!  
"Who do you think you are, running around as me"? I yelled.  
"But... I am me. And you're me too"... He whimpered.  
"That's not possible"! I snapped. "Unless... this has something to do with that mirror".  
At this, the wimpier and extremely stupid version of me somehow managed to work things out.  
"The mirror! It began to glow and then there was fire... I think it was enchanted. It split me in half"!  
"Uhh, no. It split us into two".  
"Oh. well uh, not to be rude but didn't I just say that"?  
"No you said in half. That means that I would be ripped into two pieces you imbecile".  
"My mistake".  
The stupid me then put himself into a thinking position. After a while, he spoke.  
"...You wouldn't happen to know where I could find some sauce would you?  
"Never mind that! I think I have a use for you". I smiled as I hatched a plan to get rid of the tiger and my goody goody self.  
"Sure, what are friends for".  
"Shut up. We are not friends".

TIGRESS POV  
I sat up from the bed, thinking to myself on how I had acted. It was unprofessional. I could only imagine what Master Shifu would have to say if he learned of what took place between myself and Mike.  
"I suppose I could"...  
... Perhaps an apology would help to settle the matter. Even if he continues to act against me and the rest of the Furious Five, at least I will have attempted to make peace. I shook my head and left my quarters, left the barracks and decided to check the Jade palace hall. As I headed towards the Jade palace hall, I realized that I wasn't walking as quickly as I normally would. I supposed the reason for that was because of what had happened the last time we crossed paths.  
Even with my decreased speed, I reached the Jade palace hallway in no time. I made my way up the stairs and was about to put my hand on the door until it was pulled back by the snake I was looking for. He seemed surprised to see me.  
"Ah, Tigress, just the tiger I was looking for".  
He seemed a little too happy to see me, especially after abusing me verbally not very long ago. I would be sure to keep a close eye on him, even if he does accept my apology.  
"You were looking for me"? I asked out of curiosity.  
"Yes, because I seemed to have captured a thief, trying to sneak into the palace. I was on my way to find someone to help take him to the nearest prison".  
He managed to catch a thief? I don't know how he managed that, he's only had minimal training. Maybe he caught Taotie? No, he couldn't. Taotie may not be a challenge but his machines are quite dangerous. It's probably one of Fung's gang. That would make more sense.  
I walked past the Jade palace doors. In the center of the room was the thief covered with a blue cloth.  
"Care to explain why he's covered with a blue cloth"? I asked.  
"Oh yes, well... he's light sensitive".  
That was a lie, I could easily tell. However I played his game and went to check on our "thief". I walked over to him, pulled the cloth off. I was surprised to see another python just like Mike who had been tied to a chair. I turned round to ask what was going on, only to have a crossbow shoved in my face.  
"HAHAHA, you fool! And you were so close to putting two and two together. Too bad you're not as smart as I thought at all"!

BAD MIKE POV (Five minutes earlier)  
Once I had tied the good me to the chair, I began to cover him with the blue cloth I had with me.  
"So, um. What was this plan of yours again? I forgot, sorry". I sighed. I may have been split in two but I still had all the brains.  
"Very well I'll explain. Again. I cover you with this cloth and make it seem as though you are a thief. I then fetch Tigress, bring her here and tell her how I caught this thief. Once she discovers I have deceived her, I will simply kill her with this crossbow".  
I then patted the crossbow lying on the ground beside me.  
"Once I have dealt with her, I shall then kill you. The rest of the Furious five will be easy".  
"Can I ask a question"?  
"If you must".  
"How are you going to kill Tigress, I mean, she's much better than you at everything. Or... rather much better than us. Sorry".  
"I think you will find that this is no ordinary crossbow. This will be my advantage against each and every warrior. I'll be victorious before this day is even over"! I smiled wickedly.  
"But that wouldn't be a fair fight". Good me tried to reason.  
"Shut up. I never said anything about a fair fight to begin with. Now keep quiet while I find that overgrown furball so I can lure her to her death".  
"Okay. If you want". I have to admit, I'm amazed that good me is so thick.  
"Good boy. Now, time to put my plan into effect". I hid the crossbow behind one of the pillars and made my way to find Tigress. I opened one of the rather large but surprisingly light doors and just my luck, Tigress was right there standing on the other side. Almost as though she wants me to kill her. I begun my cover story.  
"Ah, just the tiger I was looking for".

GOOD MIKE POV (Present time)  
The cloth had been removed from my head. I saw that evil me had grabbed the crossbow and was now pointed it at Tigress.  
"HAHAHA, you fool! And you were so close to putting two and two together. Too bad you're not as smart as I thought at all"! Evil me taunted.  
Tigress took her battle stance and was ready to strike. Evil me laughed at this.  
"What's going on? Why are there two of you"? Tigress demanded. I couldn't really blame her for being so defensive. I could only imagine what I would do if there were two of someone else.  
"HA! You think I'm really going to tell you"? Evil me responded. I couldn't help but feel that Tigress at least deserved an explanation.  
"Actually I went down to an artifact room, opened up a cupboard and looked in a mirror. I think that is why there are two of me". Evil me wasn't happy at this.  
"OH FOR THE LOVE OF- I knew I should have gagged you, you big mouth"!  
"Sorry, I'll keep quiet now". I accidentally ruined evil me's plan with my big mouth. How could I be so insensitive?  
"The mirror of Ying and Yang! That explains your sudden changes in mood"!  
"Aaaand the last horse crosses the finishing line. Well done". Evil me wrapped the tip of his tail around the trigger.  
"Don't even think about it Mike".  
"I wasn't thinking of anything Tigress. Well, maybe how shiny your coat is, but that was all". I spoke up.  
"Not you! The other you". She pointed out.  
"Oh okay. My mistake. Thank you for clearing thing up for me". I spoke, even though Tigress had her back to me the entire time. She sighed. Oh dear, I must be putting her off. I'd better keep quiet again.  
"You might as well give up Mike. Even with a crossbow you can't defeat me". Tigress reasoned.  
"Oh that's where you are wrong my dear. For this is no ordinary crossbow. This is the crossbow of all knowing"!  
I remember evil me finding and reading the scroll about it when he was tying me up. It was a crossbow that was enchanted to alway hit it's target by shooting its own arrow around rocks and trees, it wouldn't stop until it hits its target. I felt that I should let Tigress know about it.  
"Just so you know Tigress, the crossbow of all knowing has the abil-".  
"I know what it does"!  
"Sorry".  
Evil me then spoke up  
"Now then time to be rid of you once and for all. Straight into the eye socket and through the brain! Then I'll kill good me and then move onto the rest of the Furious five. Easy, no"?  
"I wouldn't do that if I were you". Tigress said in a warning tone.  
"Actually, I'm pretty sure I do". He smiled and aimed the crossbow at Tigress, aiming for her head.  
"I mean you don't want to kill good you".  
"And why not? Have you heard how much he complains"? A little hurtful but he did have a point.  
"If you kill him, you'll kill yourself as well. Both of you are bonded with each other to feel even pain or death".  
"Preposterous. You're just making that up".  
"Am I"?  
Tigress slowly stepped to the side, out of evils me's line of fire allowing him to try and shoot me. I waited for a while. He did nothing. He was aiming at me but couldn't bring himself to do so. He then stopped aiming at me.  
"Perhaps you are telling the truth kitty. But as fitting as this phrase goes, there's more than one way to skin a cat. I-. Wait, where did she go"?  
I looked to the left where Tigress stepped aside. She was nowhere to be seen. When I looked back at evil me, I saw Tigress emerge from the pillar behind evil me. She then signaled me to keep quiet. I nodded. However, evil me saw this.  
"What are you nodding at"?  
"...Nothing".  
"You're hiding something from me. SPEAK, or I will shoot you where you sit".  
He then pointed the crossbow at me. Tigress then struck. Evil me turned round but was too late. Tigress had grabbed him by his chest a tail, forcing him to drop the crossbow. I felt like I could now explain the situation to him.  
"Just so you know, I was keeping quiet because Tigress was trying to catch you"!  
"Oh be quiet will you? Stop adding insult to injury"!  
"But I never touched you let alone caused you an injury. Did I? I'm sorry if I did"! I asked concerned.  
"Or for Gods sake you really are an a-". Tigress knocked him out before he could finish his sentence. I was about to ask if he was okay until I felt something hit me too causing me to also lose consciousness.  
HALF AN HOUR LATER...  
I woke up and found that I was no longer tied to the chair. Instead, I was sitting in the wooden artifact room with the Ying Yang mirror. Beside me was evil me. Still knocked out. Suddenly I heard a voice from behind.  
"You're awake. Good".  
I turned round to see Tigress leaning against the wall behind me next to the doorway.  
"Hi Tigress. How are you"?  
Tigress walked up to me and evil me.  
"I'm fine. We just need to wait until evil you wakes up".  
"Why do we need him awake? So I can apologize for ruining his plan"? I asked. I felt terrible on the inside after bad me had worked so hard to destroy the furious five.  
"Not quite. Let's just say that when he looks back into the mirror, you'll be back to normal. Well, normal enough". Said Tigress. I gave a small laugh at her joke. That was a joke wasn't it? I didn't find out once evil me moaned and woke up. As soon as he realized where he was, he tried to fight against the rope that kept him to the chair.  
"What? How am I... Oh right. I got jumped by the flea bag. Damn". He spoke.

"Hi me. I hope you're feeling better". I begun. "Hopefully after we make up I'm sure we can be friends. I'd be happy to even let you taste some of my so- OHNO! I FORGOT TO FINISH THE SOUP"! I panicked. How could I forget about that?  
"Uhhh... soup"? Tigress asked confused.  
"Oh. Yeah well... I was trying to make some soup before all this happened to help make up for the misunderstanding after training".  
Everybody looked at me funny. Even evil me. I then had a thought.  
"None of you happen to know where I can find some sauce do you"?  
"Never mind about your dumb soup! Come here and release me, and I promise I won't kill you. Maybe I'll can just bruise you".  
"Sounds fair". I decided and went over to help him out. Tigress was quick to stop me before I had the chance to remove the ropes.  
"I don't think that's a good idea".  
"Sorry".  
"Anyway now that he's awake, we better deal with him".  
"Oh so you're going to kill me hmm? Perhaps you're not as spineless as I thought. Just ugly and brain dead".  
"You do remember what I said back in the Jade palace hallway right"? Asked Tigress, raising an eyebrow.  
Evil me just shrugged causing Tigress to sigh.  
"Let's just get this over with".  
She then opened the doors to the cupboard and let evil me look into it. He then spoke.  
"Yes, I am quite handsome, no need to remind me you- wait, what's happening".  
The mirror began to glow once more. Evil me became quite worried at this.  
"Oh no. Nonononono, you can't do this! I'll make you pay for this you hear? I'll -".  
He was cut off as a flash blinded me. I felt everything go dark again.

Mike POV  
Sweet mother of God, my brain feels like it's on fire. What ha- oh wait. I remember now. Damn. I looked at Tigress to see her close the cupboard doors. Once she did, she turned to me and spoke.  
"Perhaps it would be better to put a lock on the door. I think it would be best to avoid something like this again".  
I nodded but didn't speak. I then turned round and left. I slithered out. Out the artifact room, the Jade palace hall and down the steps. I then came to the split section and stopped. I looked down to see the steps that led into the village. I began to travel down them until...  
"Where are you going"?  
It was impressive how quiet Tigress can be when she tries.  
"It... doesn't matter".  
I continued down the stairs. I was stopped by a paw that held my chest. I looked up to the left of me to face Tigress. Her face didn't look as tough as it normally did.  
"Mike. The truth". I sighed knowing I wouldn't get past her without an answer.  
"I'm leaving". Tigress raised an eyebrow upon hearing my response. I continued. "I've not even been here for a full day and look at all the damage I caused. I'm not worthy to stay".  
I turned round tried to leave again. I was certain Tigress would let me past now. She knew how much trouble I caused. I even nearly killed her. However, her paw remained in my way, keeping me from moving down a single stair.  
"This isn't the first time something like this has happened. It happened with Po as well".  
"Maybe so but I'm sure he didn't do it on his first day, like I have".  
"Do you know why I ran into your evil side when I was in the Jade palace"?  
She was going to tell me anyway so I let her speak.  
"I... was trying to find you".  
"To beat me up for treating you so horribly"?  
"To make amends".  
I looked back at her again. Only this time, I was surprised to hear what she said.  
"I gave some thought about my actions back at the training grounds. I... should have been more respectful. You still have the choice to train here if you chose to. If you don't... I understand".  
I looked back at the stairs, then back to her. I then put my tail up to her paw to remove it. I looked at her face seeing a noticeable pained expression. I smiled and tightened my grip. She seemed surprised, as though she thought I was actually planning on leaving after hearing her apologize.  
"Tigress, I accept your apology".  
The next thing I saw from Tigress surprised me greatly. She smiled. Only barely but even that was quite rare I was sure. She then nodded and we both headed up the stairs. I then turned to the barracks. Letting her get back to whatever it was she was going to do upon returning from the valley. As for myself. I had to go and say sorry to a bird and a snake. And deal with the rest of the soup.

...

Authors notes: I got a day off from college today so I split the original chapter into two and posted the first part online. This one was based off of the Ying Yang mirror from one of the Kung fu Panda episodes. Upon reading this to double check it, I noticed that the good and bad versions of Mike are a bit like Doc and Ohmalley from red vs blue ^^ But with that said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I'll post the next one on either Friday or Saturday. Cheerio.


	6. Chapter 6

The first thing I decided to do once I reached the barracks was check the soup. I slithered into the kitchen and looked into the pot where I had attempted to mix ingredients. Luckily it was still salvagable so I might as well use it for lunch. I then checked every single room in the barracks. Checking the left room, then the right, moving forward and repeating the process. On the third time of repeating my tactic, I noticed Viper's silouette behind the paper thin door. I knocked gently. Viper slithered over to the door and opened it. Upon seeing me, she scowled and shut the door. This is going to be tough I can already tell.  
I knocked again and spoke.  
"Viper can we please talk about what happened in the training hall"?  
"So now you want to talk, after what you said"? I heard her voice. She was cleary angry. I could even see that on her face despite the paper wall standing between us.  
"Viper it wasn't what you think. There was an accident with this... Ying Yang mirror".  
That seemed to help the case because Viper opened her door again. Still angry at me but at least she was giving me a chance to explain myself.  
"I'm listening". She said flatly.  
"Shortly after you and the rest of the five left to go to the Village-".  
"It's called the Valley of Peace". Viper interuptted in a "matter of fact" tone. Seriously though, she's correcting me on it now?  
"...So once you went to the Valley of Peace"... She gave a nod at me for using the right name for the village. "... I went for a walk, over to one of the artifact rooms in the Jade palace, and I found a mirror that split me in half-". Again I was interuptted.  
"Don't you mean split in two? Split in half means you would be ripped into two pieces". That was exactly what evil me had pointed out as well. I nearly groaned in frustration.  
"Yes, that. So after I was split in two, good me went to make soup in the kitchen for everyone to make up for what happened between me and Tigress. During which you and Crane found evil me in the training hall and... well you know what happened".  
Viper thought about this while glaring at me. After what seemed like forever, she replied.  
"So how are you back to normal now"? I gave a small smile at this.  
"Tigress stopped evil me, knocked him out and got him to look back into the mirror. Next thing I knew, my senses were back and... well let us just say that Tigress and I are friends now". This caused Vipers eyes to nearly fly out of her head. I then spoke again, knowing what she was thinking.  
"Well, maybe not friends but she is less hostile towards me". I could only hope that I could say the same when it came to sparing against her again. Vipers eyes turned back to normal but she still pressed on.  
"What were you about to say before saying that you and Tigress were... less hostile"?  
"It's not important. I-". Yup. She interuptted me again.  
"Yes it is. You were going to say something and decided not to, now tell me". Obviously she wasn't going to forgive me until I told her the whole story. I sighed and came out with it.  
"I was planning on leaving the Jade palace". This surprised her as she wasn't sure what to say. Eventually she found her voice and spoke.  
"And are you"? She asked with concern.  
"No, luckily Tigress talked some sense into me before I did". Viper smiled.  
The next thing I knew she slithered up to me, I had no idea what she was doing. She then spoke.  
"Close you eyes".  
I did as I was instructed, no idea why she asked me to do so. I soon found out as she slapped me in the face with her tail, nearly causing me to fall over.  
"That's for being a jerk". She spoke angrily. I rubbed my now sore cheek. Before I could do anything else, she then wrapped her tail round me and hugged me. It lasted a few seconds before she broke it and talked.  
"And that's for apologising".  
I smiled and nodded.  
"Glad to sort things out. I'd better do the same with Crane".  
"Sure. See you at lunch"?  
"See you at lunch". I then left her and the barracks. Once I did, I couldn't help but smile about being slapped. I know it's a bit weird to smile upon being hit but I never expected to be slapped across the face by a snake, it just seemed funny to me. I just hope Crane doesn't do the same thing in the form of a fist.  
I walked round for a bit, walking past Monkey and Mantis a couple of times. I wonder if they knew anything about me being split in half- I mean two. I decided not to and tried to find Crane. After wandering around for ten minutes, I found him. Sitting on top of the barracks. How did I not see him when I was looking for Viper?! I just went around in a circle for no reason! *Sigh* okay, calm down. He's probably going to be the one yelling at me anyway, no need to do it to myself.  
"Hey Crane? Can I talk to you for a second"? Crane opened his eyes and noticed me. He then flew doen and landed in front of me. I was confused to see that he wasn't angry. At least he didn't seem it. Even still, I continued.  
"Listen, I just wanted to explain that-".  
"You looked in the Ying Yang mirror and split yourself in two"?  
God, why is everyone interuptting me today? I- wait.  
"How did you know that"?  
"Well I had a hunch back at the training hall, but I ran into Tigress a little while ago and she filled me in".  
"...Oh, I see. Well even still I need to say that I'm sorry for what evil me, myself, did and said".  
"Ah don't be. Believe me, Po's done worse than that". I smirked at this. Hopefully I wouldn't get into trouble as much as Po if he sounded that bad.  
"Thanks Crane. By the way, why were you on the roof of the barracks"?  
"Sometimes I prefer to meditate in high areas. It's peaceful and no one bothers you as much. Especially Po". I suppose that answers that.  
"I can understand that. Well I'd better go, That soup isn't going to finish itself".  
"Alright. See ya".  
HALF AN HOUR LATER  
It was now time for lunch. Time sure moves fast when you have an evil side and a good side harrassing others. I had finally finished with the soup at last, Noodle soup in case you were wondering what type, and had begun pouring it in the first bowl when Monkey walked through the doorway.  
"Hey Monkey". I spoke upon seeing him.  
"Hey". He waved at me before I handed over the bowl of soup to him with my tail, which Monkey took.  
"I didn't know you cooked. Makes a change from Po cooking". He joked. I gave a laugh and kept pouring soup for when the rest walked in. It only took two minutes before the room was filled with the Furious Five and Po. I guessed that they were the only warrior that trained here as I had seen no one else other than Shifu. That reminded me.  
"So how was your Punishment Po"? I asked upon handing him the noodle soup.  
"It was awful. I had to sweep the training hall top to bottom! It was worse than one of Cranes stories abo- I mean, mmmm this soup is good"! I noticed that Crane glared at him before shaking his head and returning back to his own bowl of soup.  
I handed Tigress a bowl but she refused, insisting that her small tofu cubes were enough for her. I decided to give her bowl to Po who took it without hesitation. He lifted the bowl up to his mouth and slurped it down, spilling half of it down his fur. It was a little disturbing for me but everyone else seemed to ignore it. I leaned in to Monkey and whispered.  
"Does he usually eat like this"? Monkey gave a small "Ha" and replied.  
"That's nothing. You should see what he's like during the Winter Feast". Winter feast? Never heard of it. Was that supposed to be like Christmas? I decided to keep my mouth shut about it. It was December back on Earth before I... died, so I assumed that the date was the same here.  
"So do you think Shifu will let us off easy with training again"? Mantis asked.  
"Mantis, don't be so lazy"! Viper scolded.  
"What? I was just asking a simple question, no need to get all hissy with me"!  
"I Hope so". I spoke. "I've still got bruises from last time".  
"I'm sure you'll live". Tigress spoke, picking up one of her tofu cubes with a pair of chopsticks. She sounded a lot nicer this time round so I take it she's calmer around me.  
"I guess we'll find out after lunch". I replied with a sense of humor. I then finished off the rest of my soup and cleaned the bowl out. Everyone handed me their dishes afterwards, leaving me with a huge stack of bowls to clean up. Three belonging to Po, the third bowl came from him having second helpings. I sighed. I hated washing up.  
We all then left for the training hall. I was certain that it would go much better than last time.  
Our training began for the second time that day. This time, Tigress got a head start on training me. Again it was sparing. However this time, she took things more carefully. When she attacked, she was sure not to hit me too hard. I even managed to get a hit on her, even if she wasn't putting all her effort into her blocks. I then trained with Crane and Viper again, practising the same tactics as last time.  
Once I had finished with them, I slithered round, wondering what else to try out. Before I could, I heard a yell above me. I looked up quickly to see Monkey with a staff, aiming for me! Shit. Thanks to my reflexes, I moved to the left just in time as the staff slammed into the ground where I had been standing. Before I could speak to ask why he was attacking me, he swung at me again and I jumped back, and again and again. Was this meant to be training? I improvised, and blocked Monkeys next swing with my tail, making it my own weapon against him. I then gave my own attack and swung my tail overhead. I hadn't much practice in combat so my attack was a little slow. Monkey side stepped to the left with ease and my tail hit the ground with a thump. I then swung in a 360, dragging my tail with me to get more momentum with my swing, acting as quick as I could to prevent Monkey from hitting me first. My tail flew at great speed towards the left of Monkey but he was quick enough to block it. Upon hitting the staff, my tail wrapped itself around the staff. I used this to my advantage and pulled with all my might. The staff flew out of Monkey's hands and I twirled it round once and aimed it at him.  
One question came to mind at this point. How the hell did I just manage to do all that?! My heart was beating like crazy from acting so fast so I guess most of my actions had been running on adrenaline. Jesus Christ that was intense!  
I then looked round to see that the battle had caused a small crowd of all the other masters and even Shifu. I then turned to Monkey. He bowed which I then returned. Good, so it was just training. I was worried for a second then. The masters dispersed and Shifu walked up to me and Monkey.  
"Monkey". He began with a hint of anger. "That was a low, underhanded trick! Well done". He then smiled. He then turned to me.  
"As for you Python. I did not expect you to disarm Monkey, let alone win. You've shown me that you may very well have a future here". He then left us be.  
"You're welcome". Monkey joked. We then kept sparing, despite how tiring that fight had been, I managed to push on.  
"So what was that all about to begin with, attacking me so suddenly"? I asked, knowing that there was more to the story.  
"Mantis bet on Po that I could beat you with a surprise attack. five yuan". I looked over to Mantis and saw him handing over a bunch of coins to Po who had a smug look on his face.  
"Well I guess I just won with luck". I spoke. Monkey smirked.  
"Trust me, if it had been a real battle, I would have won hands down".  
I knew that Monkey was right about that, I decided not to let him know. His ego was big enough without me adding to it.  
After we had finished sparing, the training session was over. Everyone instantly appeared in front of Shifu and bowed. I arrived a couple of seconds later again. And then Po, sounding just as tired as myself.  
"Good work today students. You may go".  
Once again, we left the training hall. Crane took the moment to ask me something.  
"Say Mike, how would you like to go and visit the valley this time"?  
"Good idea Crane. What do you say Mike"? I looked at Crane. I just smiled and nodded. I guess it would be nice to see the town this time round without needing to follow commands from a rhino.  
"Then lets get going, last one there's a rotten egg"! Yelled Monkey as he sped through the front doors of the training court.  
"Oh no you don't"! Yelled Mantis from behind as he took off just as fast. The rest of us just took our time.  
"I can't believe those two sometimes". Viper complained.  
"Ah let them be Viper, they know what they're doing". Po replied.  
"You mean like that one time you did and challenged them to a race down the Valley steps"?  
Everyone held in their laughter except for Po and myself.  
"What happened then"? I asked Crane.  
"Po challenged Monkey down the steps one time and he slipped on the very first stair. He tumbled down the whole way".  
I gave a small laugh, trying to imagine it. We then descended down the stairway which looked like it went on forever.

...

Authors notes: This was the continuing section that I said was from the last chapter. Glad to post it on.

I also want to say thank you everyone for all the views and support I've been getting from writing this story. It's been such a positive boost for me and my writing :)


	7. Chapter 7

We had reached the bottom of the stairs at last! It was tiring to just slither down, what was I going to be like going back up? I'll pass out from exhustion! What idiot thought it was a smart idea to build a staircase that's nearly as big as a mountain? WHO!?  
Okay now that I've vented, lets continue.  
We decided to split up. Myself, Po and Mantis went straight down the middle road while everyone else decided to go right.  
Po was eager to show me where he used to work before he became the Dragon Warrior. We walked through a circular archway further down the road and found several pigs and ducks sitting down eating noodles. Po took lead ahead of me and Mantis, who was standing on Po's shoulder. Po entered what I assumed was the kitchen and signalled for me to enter. As soon as I did, I was whacked on the head with a metal wok.  
"AAHHH! MOTHER OF- FFJK"! I yelled in pain, ready to tear whoever hit me a new-  
"Dad, its ok he's with me"! Po spoke before I could finish my thought.  
"Oh my, I'm sorry Po. You know how I am around new people entering my kitchen". Po's dad spoke. I looked down and saw... Po's dad was a goose. Yeah, I'm not kidding. A goose! I take it that Po was adopted then though I didn't dare ask.  
"Mike, This is my dad". Po introduced. The goose walked up to me and shook my tail with his wing.  
"Hello there Mike. New in town I hear hmm"?  
I nodded, keeping my eye on the wok he was still holding onto.  
"Great, here's a coupon". I was passed a red coupon. "Be sure to use it during the lunch special".  
I nodded again. "So what is you name"? I asked.  
"I am Mr. Ping. Owner of the best noodle shop in town"! He proudly introduced. Mantis hopped onto my head and whispered.  
"That's because it's the ONLY noodle shop in town, which technically makes it the worst as well".  
I smirked upon hearing Mantis's comment.  
"Would you like to try a bowl of noodle? Only three yuan a bowl. Chopsticks cost an extra yuan".  
Though I didn't admit it, Mr. Ping reminded me a lot of Mr. Krabs from spongebob. A little cheap but at least he has feelings. I hope otherwise I can only imagine what Po had to go through.  
"Hey guys, I'm just gonna help my dad out for a while. You two go on ahead".  
"Sure thing buddy". Mantis replied. I then slithered out, taking Mantis along with me. Once we left the noodle shop behind, I rubbed my head which was throbbing.  
"You alright there"? Mantis asked.  
"Apart from being hit on the head with a wok? I'm fine".  
"Hey, try taking a hit from a handbag from Crane's mom. THAT is painful".  
"Mantis, you're like five inches tall at the most. Of course it would hurt". I argued.  
"Trust me, I've been hit by metal objects softer".  
I shrugged and continued my path until I reached the area where Hundun fought the Dragon warrior. And where I ran from Monkey. I laughed to myself from remembering it and carried on slithering until Mantis spoke again.  
"So, Can I ask you something"?  
"Sure, whats up Mantis".  
"What were you doing in the Bamboo forest when you found Hundun"?  
Strange, I never mentioned meeting Hundun in the Bamboo forest. How did he know about that? Still I prefered not to tell him the whole truth. Even if they did know about Oogway, the story would seem crazy enough to make anyone think of me as insane.  
"I prefer to go out and see the world for myself sometimes". I said, unable to add on to my words.  
"I... see". Mantis said suspiciously. Damn it, he's onto me. "Listen, I'm gonna head back and see if Po needs help with helping his father. See you later okay"?  
"Sure thing Mantis". He then hopped off of my head and back into the centre of town. I knew that he was on his way to tell the others about me lying. My first thought would have normally been to run for it, but that would make me even more suspicious. I figured the best thing to do would be to explore the town a little more. I would deal with questions later.  
1 HOUR LATER  
I had more or less explored the town. It reminded me of a market place. Many animals would often come by, pulling along portable stalls and were persistant in getting me to buy their mechandise. Some offered fruit, others, good luck charms and so forth.  
Before I had the chance to say no, I found Tigress walking up to me. I tried to remain calm, in case Mantis had actually told them about me lying about where I came from. Soon enough...  
"We need to talk".  
I sighed. "Go on then. Ask away".  
"What are you hiding from us"? Her eyes narrowed as to really put me on edge. Seems that whatever small amount of trust she held for me was broken quickly. I still held my ground.  
"I have nothing to hide that puts you or anyone in harms way if that's what you're asking". I responded.  
"Then why do you insist on keeping it secret from the rest of us"?  
"What happened before I came to the Valley of peace, I made the most difficult choice I was forced to make. That's all I have to say on the matter".  
I couldn't help but remember being in Limbo with Oogway, the moment he offered me a chance to start fresh.  
"You have no right to scavenge information about my personal life Tigress, I wouldn't try it with you".  
"...Fine". She glared at me one last time and left me alone.  
That was easier than I thought, except that I was probably back at square one with everyone, including Po, and the best part? I haven't even known any of them for a whole day. I'd like to know what else could possibly go wrong!  
I decided to cut my tour of the Valley of peace short and made my way halfway up the stairway before becoming exhausted. Evil me had a point. Would it really kill someone to build an elevator?  
It took a total of twelve minutes to reach the top of the staircase. I would have counted how many steps I climbed but lost count somewhere around eight hundred. I then headed over to the barracks. I needed to rest for a moment and get my bearings straight. I went into my room, closed the door and curled myself up on my bed as an actual snake would. From there, I thought about everything that had happened from being human, to where I was now. It was much to take in so... I shed a few tears. Maybe I would have been better off picking limbo.  
After five or so minutes, I pulled myself together and sat up, lifting my head while remaining curled up. I soon heard someone enter and walk up to my room, knocked and spoke.  
"Mike, buddy is everything okay"?  
It was Po. Who else was that big both in height and width?  
"I'm fine, just leave me be Po". I said with a noticable crack in my voice. However, Po didn't leave. Instead he opened the door and found me in the state I was in. My face still felt wet from crying earlier. Po sat down on the bed next to me. The bed sagged a lot from his weight.  
"Listen, Mike. I heard that you and Tigress had a little... kerfuffle earlier. You don't need to be upset about it. Tigress yells at me three times a week. Four if I mess something up".  
"It's not that Po. Its just... memories. Just memories. That's all".  
"It's okay, I understand". Without realising it until it was too late, my anger rose.  
"You understand? HOW CAN YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT IT IS LIKE TO BE RIPPED APART FROM EVERYTHING YOU ONCE CARED ABOUT ONLY TO BE PLACED SOMEWHERE THAT I KNOW NEXT TO NOTHING ABOUT!? HOW"?!  
I found my head was now staring down at Po. Then I realised what I had said upon seeing his face filled with shock from my outburst. I then lowered my body back down to his height and looked to the floor.  
"I- I'm sorry Po. It's been a tough few days for me. Very tough".  
I expected Po to leave. Instead I felt one of his fluffy hands pat me softly on the back.  
"It's alright. I've gone through tough times too. I didn't even know anything about my real family until last year. They saved my life by giving up their own".  
That made me feel guilty, I still kept silent, allowing Po's word to sink in. A few minutes of silence later, he patted me on the back and left. I looked up just to see him walk past the opening to my room. I then got up only to softly shut the door to my room, letting my feel miserable in peace.  
No one else bothered to visit me thank God. I didn't think I would have the energy to yell at everyone for doing nothing but trying to help me out. During my little break down, I first tried to convince myself that this whole thing was Oogways fault, then Mantis, then Tigress and then Po. At that point I realised that the whole thing was my own fault. I left my room and slithered up a different staircase, one of two I had yet to travel. This one led me to a circular area which had a small tree growing from the soil. I looked over the edge of the circular area to see a steep cliff. I sighed and talked to the sky.  
"Oogway, if you can hear me, I don't know if I can do this. Living here I mean. There is nothing here that can or ever will make me forget about the past. I... a sign to tell me what to do would be nice".  
I felt like my plea was in vain. I took another look down at the cliff edge. I then suddenly felt wind rise into my face. It then blew in front of me, making my turn round lest I wanted my eyeballs to dry up. I then saw that the young peach tree had a peach growing from it! I could have sorn that it wasn't there before! I slithered over to inspect it closer and raised my slender tail to touch it. I only simply touched the bottom of the peach and it fell into my grasp. I looked up to the sky once more.  
"Thanks Oogway". I looked back at the fruit, understanding that it was a sign for my to continue. "It means a lot". I was then about to take a bite from the fruit until I head someone coming up the stairs. I put the fruit under the tree and acted as though I hadn't heard a thing by staring out into the world.  
I waited until the person was right behind me before giving any acnoledgement of their arrival. I turned round and surprisingly saw Viper. I thought it was going to be either Po, Tigress or even Shifu.  
"I heard about what happened between you and Po". She said. A little insensitive but I ignored it and stayed silent, making things awkward.  
"Is there anything you need"? She asked kindly. I shook my head back and forth, keeping my back to her. Not unless she could find a way for me to get back home where I belong. I heard Viper sigh behind me.  
"Mike, everyone knows you're hiding something. We just don't want to see you act this way. Maybe it would be easier to just talk to us. Please"?  
I kept silent for a little while longer until I heard her turning round to leave. I then spoke.  
"I wouldn't know where to begin even if I could".  
This got her to stop for a moment. I waited until she spoke again.  
"Give yourself time and you will".  
That was all she said before leaving me alone. A few minutes later, I was about to leave as well until I remembered the fruit under the tree. I picked it up from under the tree just before the thing split itself in half. I then heard a familiar voice in my head.  
"An open mind will release the sweetness within one's soul".  
Perhaps it's time to make a proper start in this world.

...

Sorry, this was meant to be posted yesterday but the internet had been down since saturday. As you can tell, things are getting a little emotional for Mike. It will remain that way for perhaps the next chapter or two, I'm not too sure yet. But for now, I hope you enjoyed reading. Cheerio


	8. Chapter 8

If I wanted to start my new life, I realised I needed to start living it for myself, no one else. I decide to leave for England once everyone was asleep. If I wanted to have any chance of remembering my old life, that was where I wanted to go. Only this time, I wasn't going to let anyone stop me.  
During the third and final training session, I remained quiet. I said nothing and nobody spoke back. Nothing but training. I didn't even bother to eat anything at dinner. I just sat in my room. Planning on my route.  
I expected England to be full of animals, like here. I doubt there will be any pythons such as myself but if not, at least I can be the first right?  
Nightfall came quickly. I decided to sneak out of my bedroom window. Going through the front entrance risked the plan thanks to the squeaky floor boards. I made it out and slithered slowly down the staircase. I had with me a stick and a bundle carrying bean buns and a map. If I was lucky, the bean buns would last a day. I didn't even have any money to buy any food and I wasn't going to resort to stealing. There was no doubt that this was going to be tough, but remembering Oogways words, "An open mind leads to an open soul". I could do this. But in truth I knew that Oogway didn't mean for me to do this. But what else could I do? Stay and accept defeat? No. Not this time.

TIGRESS POV  
I still felt angry but curious over what Mike was hiding. Why did he want to keep it a secret? I couldn't be sure whether to just interogate him while I had the chance. Still, I could say that it was a neccesary act. Enough games, time to find out.  
I got from my bed and walked over to Mike's. I opened the door. He wasn't there. This is not good. I saw that the window was wide open. Seems that leaving was still on his mind.

MIKE POV  
It had been fifteen minutes since I left the barracks and I had just made it down the ten billion steps of hell to the village. The village looked nicer during the night than it did in the daytime. Before I could continue to admire the towns beauty, I heard a crash nearby. I looked to the source of the noise and saw a couple of shadows moving along the walls. I followed them to investigate and found that the shadows had stopped moving. They were right around the corner so I took a look around to see four crocodiles surrounding the duck who tried to sell me apples earlier today. I listened in to hear what they were talking about.  
"Okay guy, hand over all your apples if you know what's good for you"! The one with the spiked helmet ordered.  
"Please, I don't want any trouble fellas". The duck said nervously, trying to avoid a conflict.  
"Oh yeah, what you gonna do fella, throw your apples at us"?  
"Actually if thrown with precision, a flying apple could be painful, especially if it hits you in the eye". The skinny croc pointed out infuriating the helmet croc.  
"DARN IT GARY! Jus- would you-". The helmet croc face palmed. "Look will you just, like, be on look out duty or something, okay"?  
"Oh. Sure. Okay". The skinny croc turned away for a second before turning back round to the leader.  
"And... it's Gahri, not Gary". The leader just shoved the skinny one away from him as though he was dangerous.  
"You see what I have to deal with? Seriously"?  
This would make a great comedy routine if it was fake. But right now, I needed to help the apple cart duck. I deided to hatch a plan and put it into effect at once. Once I was sure that the croc named Gary, or Gahri or whatever the guy called himself wasn't looking, I climbed onto the roof of the building next to me and followed it until the leader was right above me. All I needed to do was jump down, attack and defeat the leader. The rest should run like rats. I hope that rats aren't indiginous to this place otherwise I've just made a racist comment.  
In a second, I struck, hitting the leader on his snout and tied his limbs together using my body in a matter of seconds. This got the surprise on all of them, including the apple cart duck. Mostly the leader.  
"Are you seri- DARN IT GARY"!  
The one called Garhi ran over to the leader, then stopping a good few metres upon seeing me on top of him.  
"What happened"? Gahri asked.  
"I give you one job. ONE JOB! And- i- ga- LOOK WHAT HAPPENS"!  
"Oh. Wait, who is he? I've never seen a python before. So exotic".  
The leader sighed and spoke to me in a calm voice.  
"Listen uh... guy. Could you just... um".  
The croc eyed his helmet then made a sort of throwing motion with his wrist. I guessed that he wanted me to throw the helmet on the ground? Oddly enough I carried out his request and took his hat off with the part of my tail which wasn't holding his limbs together and threw it on the ground as hard as I could. The leader then yelled to the skinny croc.  
"NOBODY CARES GARY! Gaaaarrgh".  
As weird as this was for me, I decided to break up the argument between these two.  
"Okay, that's enough. Both of you"!  
I then tightened my grip, pulling the leaders arms back causing serious pain. Nothing permanant but at least it will keep him quiet for a while.  
"Ah, okay okay. Garrgh, what are you some kind of night patrol guy or something"?  
"Just a passerby. That's all you need to know".  
The leader just sighed while the others kept their distance. Thank goodness otherwise they would realise that I wouldn't be able to take them all at once. However...  
"Wait, what's to stop us wailing on you AND the apple guy? You're just one of you. There's four of us".  
The other crocs began to advance. I would have threatened to crush their leader more but I think I would break a bone or two in his body if I did so. Before the bandits got a few steps too close, a blur knocked all three crocs off their feet.  
This caught everybody off guard, even me as the crocs panicked, probably thinking that it was the furious five. The figure was fighting off the croc bandits with ease, attacking with punches, kicks, even flipping one over into another croc. After this, I let the leader go seeing how he was no longer a threat if he knew what was good for him. The crocs ran into the bamboo forest. Smart. I was now left with the stranger.  
I looke closer at him. He was younger than any member of the furious five, he was what I think was a snow leopard and even had similar eyes to myself.  
"Who are you"? I asked gratefully.  
The stranger stuck his paw out and I shook it.  
"The name's Peng".

...

My apologies for the short chapter but I figured to post a quick one to A. Make up for the delay of the last chapter, and B. because it seemed like the best point to stop the chapter. You may be asking why Peng is back after the last episode he was in, well all will be revealed in time. Also, the emotional chapter I mentioned will be after this one. For now however, hope you enjoy this quick write up. Things will get tense next time. Cheerio.


	9. Chapter 9

TIGRESS POV  
I ran down the stairs that led to the Valley of Peace. He can't have gotten too far.  
Once I reached the valley, I was sure to check every corner, every alleyway that Mike may be hiding in. After looking for any signs or clues that may give him away, I figured that he had already left the valley. However, I saw another familiar face.  
"Peng"?  
I ran up to the snow leopard and upon closer review, it was indeed Peng. I bowed with respect and he returned it. As good as it was to see Peng again, I had more important matters to deal with.  
"It is good to see you once again Master Tigress".  
"It is good to see you too Peng".  
"I am sure you are wondering why I am back in the Valley of Peace again".  
"Indeed, but that can wait. I'm looking for a grey python. Black spots on his back, red eyes, named Mike".  
Peng thought for a moment before answering.  
"Yes, I have. He said something about heading in that direction".  
I looked to where Peng was pointing. He pointed to the north section just outside of town. I bowed once more and headed off. Once I get my hands on Mike, I'll make him tell me what this is all about.

PENG POV  
I watched Tigress run towards where I had pointed. I couldn't help but feel a small amount of guilt build up inside me.  
"Is she gone"?  
I turned round and watched Mike slither from the roof above me to the ground in front of me.  
"She's gone. But it won't take long before she learns that she's been tricked. You'll have to move quickly if you want to get out of here"  
"I suppose so. Thanks Peng, I appreciatte what you did".  
I then watched as Mike took off with the bundle in his mouth. He slithered into the bamboo forest. I waited until I couldn't see him anymore and returned to what I was doing before. I still needed to check on one last thing.

MIKE POV  
I slithered quickly to God knows where, the dark stole most of my vision and I could only imagine what, if any, dangers lurked in the forest. Once reaching a small opening, I pulled the map from my bag and allowed the moonlight to shine on it before checking where I was going.  
It seemed that I would need to travel for a few weeks in order to just get out of china. Still, for what it was worth... I put the map back into my bag and continued in the direction I was heading.  
Soon after ten minutes of slithering, I came across some ruins of old statues. Many had been carved into huge stone rocks while others just lay on the ground in several pieces. Some of the statues feature animals I had never seen before. The area seemed like a good enough place to sleep. However I still wasn't safe from Tigress, and it was too dark to continue. I looked back at the big statue carved into the stone and figured to sleep behind it. Thanks to the flexibility I now had, I could easily adjust my body around the statue which would otherwise cause serious sleeping problems for anyone else. I took the bundle with me as well and hid it on a small ledge above me. I then fell asleep, hoping that I would be safe here.

TIGRESS POV  
I returned from the north area outside of the town. Mike couldn't have made it so far already, Peng must be hiding his true whereabouts. I would have to talk to him again.  
I walked back into the Valley of peace and saw that there was a light source around the next corner, around where Mr. Ping's noodle shop is. I went to investigate and found Peng kneeling with a lantern at his side. What was he doing? Wasn't he kneeling over the area where Po... Oh.  
I walked up to Peng, careful not to disturb him. I waited until he stood back up.  
"Peng"... I began, wanting to ask if this was why he had returned.  
"I know what you're going to say master Tigress. But truth of it is, Even if he did bring dishonor to my family and tried to destroy the valley, Tai Lung is- was still my Uncle. The least I could do is pay my respects, even if I don't feel comfortable with it".  
This must have been why Peng returned. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him, even if Tai Lung was a heartless villain.  
"I don't hold it against you Peng. And I'm sorry about what happened but Po did what he had to. For China".  
"I know. But still, I can't help but think what if? Had my uncle realised his mistakes and done something about it instead of seeking revenge"...  
Peng trailed off. I couldn't blame him for doing so. Instead, I nodded in understanding.  
"Peng, I don't mean to be insensitive, but I need to find Mike. I nee to find out what he's up to".  
Peng stood still for a few seconds before responding.  
"He headed into the bamboo forest".  
"Then why did you keep it from me"?  
"Because Mike told me that he needed to leave, to find happiness. He said that he couldn't find it here in the Valley of Peace and needed to return to his roots, back home".  
"And where is home for him"?  
"He didn't say, all I did note was that he wasn't from China".  
Not from China? Then where did he come from? More questions were being asked faster than they were being answered.  
"Thanks Peng".  
I headed towards the Bamboo forest, leaving Peng to finish paying his respects. It would be most likely that Mike would be camping for the night at the Ruins of the Mongolian sages or at the least he would be resting before continuing this journey of his.

MIKE POV  
A soft thud woke me up. It came from the front of the statue. I slowly peeked my head out. Damn it, how did she catch up so quickly?  
Tigress was right outside. She hadn't seen me yet and I could only hope that she would leave and soon. I listened out for any movement. After a while, I heard her footsteps leaving. I waited until I could no longer hear the footsteps before checking again. She was nowhere in sight.  
This was both good and bad for me. The good news being she didn't see me. The bad needs was that she would likely inform Shifu, Po and the others that I've run off. Whether they would leave me be or come after me I didn't know. Either way it meant I would have to wake up early, eat one of the bean buns and set off at once.  
I looked back at where Tigress had gone off. I couldn't help but feel like I was in minecraft. Eating to stay alive, Living in the earth, hiding from monsters. Tigress was much scarier than any Creeper or Enderman so that was what made it that much worse. I fell asleep once more, trying to forget my troubles.  
NINE HOURS LATER  
Morning came at last and I could now get moving. I opened the bundle, ate one of the bean buns and set off at once.  
As I left the ruins behind, the soft grass was quickly replaced with hard rock. I moved across carefully so that I didn't hurt myself on any of the jagged rocks. Judging from where I was standing, it looked as though the jagged rocks went on for a while. What would come after that I didn't know.  
I braced myself and began to move across the rocks. I can't believe I didn't dcide to pack any medical supplies.

TIGRESS POV  
"...That's all I know".  
I finished telling Shifu and the five about last night. They all seemed either sad or like myself, angry.  
"So now what do we do"? Crane asked, looking for any form of guidance.  
"Um, how about finding him"? Po interjected seeming serious for once. "I mean, Peng's a great kid but this is a chance to"... Po stopped talking upon seeing everyone glaring at him.  
"... Oh. You meant Mike right"?  
I turned to Shifu. If anyone knew what to do, he would.  
"Master Shifu, what should we do"?  
Master Shifu thought long and hard before coming to a conclusion.  
"Have only a small group go with you to find him Tigress. If you find him, try to convince him that he is making a terrible decision. If not... then we have no right to stop him".  
We all bowed, respecting Mater Shifu's judgement.  
After quick organisation, Viper and Crane agreed to come with me. Crane could spot anything from a distance when flying and Viper was the best at talking to Mike. In my opinion, I think we should just knock him out and drag him back here, however I know that everyone else would advise against it.  
Po wanted to find Peng and talk to him. I can't say that I wouldn't try to. The kid's got talent when it came to Kung fu. But for now, We need to find Mike. We immediatley set out. Crane took to the sky while myself and Viper took the ground. It was going to take some time until we found him.

MIKE POV  
At this point I was beginning to wonder if this was a good idea, setting off to England when I'm so far from it. Should I head back? No. No chance. I could do this if I set my mind to it. Just like I always could. My mind was already set on the goal. To give up on this meant giving up everything that I wanted, everything that I needed. There was no going back.  
It was more or less coming to the evening. The rocks became smoother as I moved further along. At least that was a positive. The only positive thing since the start of today.  
The sun moved behind the clouds, giving me some shade from the heat. Still, I took a quick gulp of water from a jar which I had also taken with me. And given the lack of supplies I was carrying I had to make it last as long as I could.  
I played a few songs through my head as I slithered along, it helped me pass the time. I wanted to try singing out loud the songs I played through but decided not to. Imagine how stupid I would look, even if I was the only one around. I noted that there was some huge rocks that would make a good spot to hide in the shade as I saw the clouds in front of the sun was beginning to pass. I made my way over to them quickly, racing the clouds.  
I made it before the sun shone down on the stone path again. At least now I could take a small break from slithering along at last. All I could do now was stare out into the distance. Admiring the view of the mountains behind me. I guess I can see why hikers and climbers do what they do. To experience the wonders of nature. That is mostly what I have done since coming to this world, although I don't think animals walking on two legs and in clothing really counts as natural.  
I just sat down for at least half an hour before moving on. I wasn't sure if anyone from the valley was after me but I didn't want them to catch up to me if they were. I set off at once, bearing the heat once more.  
I again sung in my own head. The rocky area was nearly over as I saw grass once again, not too far away from where I was. I moved faster, glad that I could now travel over something soft again. I reached the grass and it felt much much better than the rocks. I looked back towards the sea of rock. The worst was behind me. However, something caught my eye from above. Something in the sky... Oh no. how did they catch up so quickly? Damn it, I need to get moving, now!  
I speeded forwards like a jetboat in water. There was little to hide under. Everything was too small or didn't provide enough cover! Basically, I was screwed! Still, I did what I could to get away, not realising how pointless it was. I mean, Crane was much MUCH faster in the air than anyone else was on the ground. I looked up. He knew where I was as he began swooping down towards my position! Damn it all. I could even hear him yelling at me to stop! Eff that if he really thinks I'm just going to give up so quickly! I've been travelling for almost an entire day yet they've found me in a few hours? That's BS!  
In seconds, he landed right in front of me in an attempt to get me to stop.  
"MIKE, WAI-".  
I sped straight past him.  
"DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT IT CRANE, JUST LEAVE ME BE"! I yelled back. Of course, he came after me again, instead of landing in front of me, he glided at my side, trying to talk me out of leaving.  
"What is this all about? Why are you just leaving"?  
"For pete's sake Crane, I don't belong at the Jade Palace or the Valley or Peace or even the whole Country. I'm heading back home and I'm not letting you stop me"!  
Crane was about to argue back until he turned round. His eyes went wide and turned back to me.  
"I'm not the one who's about to".  
He then soared away from me. And as much as I would regret it, I looked behind me. Tigress was gaining on me and quick! Jesus, I felt like she was going to literally kill me! She looked angry as hell! Once she was in range, she jumped at me! I slid to the left as quick as my snake body would let me! I heard her hit the ground where I once was. However she quickly recovered and was on my tail yet again! I kept moving and waited until I couldn't hear her footsteps. That was how I knew she was pouncing at me. She tried again and I moved to the right. Again I barely escaped her!  
In my mind I was yelling, "SHIT, SHIT, SHIT"! It was almost like the demons of hell were chasing me! Then again this was Tigress so is there really that much difference? The footsteps came again. It sounded like she was a foot from my tail! Oh sweet mother of mercy, I've never dealt with such a scary situation before, EVER! My heart was racing, I was so tired, I was now running on adrenaline!  
Before I knew it, She grabbed me by the tail and I dropped the bundle! I knew it, it's over for me now! She lifted me up to her face. I could feel her breath on my face, forcing me to close my eyes.  
"You and I are going to have a little chat". She said calmly. Though that was what scared me the most so far. Whenever someone tries to be calm while angry, bad things happen.  
"Tigress wait"!  
How many people did they send after me for Gods sake? I looked and saw Viper slithering up to me. I imagined that she was going to help me out. She narrowed her eyes at me.  
"Let me talk to him first".  
Though I could be bloody wrong. Tigress dropped me and I landed on my head.  
"If you so much as move an inch, I'll pin you to the ground with my claws"!  
I watched her walk off next to Crane who looked like he felt sorry for me. I felt sorry for myself as well.  
"What do you think you are doing"? Viper raised her voice. "Leaving the Jade palace, after what we've done for you"?  
I did what I could to argue back.  
"Being a warrior wasn't what I wanted for my life okay? I'm not a skilled fighter and I don't plan to be".  
"Then why did you become one anyway? Huh? Seems a little strange if you didn't want to become a warrior"!  
"Because I thought I had no choice".  
"Haven't you made enough choices? Look where it has gotten you! Running away from somewhere that you might fit in"!  
"So what you're saying is that I won't fit in anywhere else "?  
"I didn't say that"!  
"You were implying it".  
"I never meant it and you know it"!  
"... I've made my choice and I'm sticking with it. This conversation is over".  
I slithered away but the second I turned round, Tigress had already grabbed me again. I saw Viper go from angry to worried. Imagine how I feel, I couldn't even see Tigress's face. However I knew that if I did I would die. I don't know if I'm joking about that either.  
As soon as she turned me round, I did nearly faint. It was terrifying, seriously terrifying! I tried to remain calm and spoke.  
"Tigress, let me go".  
Intead of complying, Tigress pulled her fist back.  
"TIGRESS, NO"! I heard Viper and Crane yell. The last thing I could remember was Tigress's fist moving towards my face at a hundred miles an hour.

...

Well it seems that I no longer go to college on Wednesdays. Yippee :D Now I have more time to write. That actually addresses a bit of a serious matter. I got a review telling me that I throw too many surprises into this story. After looking through for myself, I discovered for myself that he was right. My story seems a little rushed so I promise that I will try to slow down on the action a bit for the rest of the story.

Remember guys, if you have something to say about the story, don't be afraid to tell me. You're only helping me to improve. I just ask that you don't be rude about it. This is the first story I've written on this site.

With that being all I have to say, hope you enjoyed the chapter. Cheerio.


	10. Chapter 10

I woke up. Everything was blurry. All I could tell was that it was now night. Either that or I've gone blind again. I waited for my eyes to focus and I looked around. We were back in the rocky area, as obviously the soft grass wouldn't be more comfortable! I looked to see Tigress with her back to me a few meters away. Sitting round a fresh lit fire. Crane and Viper were next to her. I decided to get away before they realized I was awake. I lifted my head and tried to move. I fell over. Of course, they tied me up. Where did they get the rope from by the way?  
I felt that my left eye hurt. Why did- oh, right. Tigress punched me in the face, that's what happened. It must have left me with a black eye. This was great. As soon as morning arrives, I'll be taken back to the Jade Palace. What happens after that, I don't know. Prison I bet. Being tied with rope started to hurt my scaly skin. I tried to pull myself free, didn't work. I tried biting the rope with my fangs, didn't work. I even tried rubbing the rope on some jagged rocks nearby. Guess what? Also didn't work.  
I heard someone behind me. I sighed and turned round. Viper had left the others. She had a small jug of water. My small jug of water. I turned back round, not caring that she was there. She just put the jug in reach of my tail and left. I was sure she was going to say something along the lines of "You should know better" or "This is the worst thing you've ever done". But it never came. I turned back round and saw that she had rejoined the others. I didn't bother to drink the water. I wasn't thirsty to begin with anyway. One thing about the night I liked was that things got colder so There was no need to waste water.  
I looked up to the sky. I could see many stars. They were all in the same locations as the ones were back where I came from. I could make out the Ladle, the Ursa minor and the Ursa major. The only difference was that the moon was at least twice as big. Either that or it's closer than it looks. It was a good night to star gaze, because I could see Jupiter. The white star that was slightly larger than all the other ones, that was it. I remember my father pointing it out to me one clear night when I was at a young age. You never forget things like that. Now that I'm here, I can't help but try to remember everything from my original life. I know I said I didn't have many good memories from my past but there were still some that made me smile, cry and make me cheer. Those were the good moments. I can just see them happening before my eye.  
"You know, you should keep your strength up".  
Aaaaaand they're gone. I looked round to see viper again. She pushed the jug slightly closer to me.  
"I'm not thirsty". I said flatly.  
"It doesn't matter if you are or not. You still need it".  
I kept silent and turned round, trying to focus on whatever I was doing before being interrupted. She then sighed and slithered up to my face.  
"This isn't just about you, you know".  
I turned round, trying to get her out of my face. No matter where I turned, she kept appearing. I'd probably still just hear her if I tried burying my head in the rocks so that option was out.  
"It affects Crane Tigress and myself as well okay? You made friends with... everyone except Tigress. And then before the day is out, you try to leave us. Why"?  
"It doesn't matter". I repeated myself. "You should have just left me to fend for myself. I never asked for anyone to come and find me. I was actually happy until you found me again".  
I felt like Viper was going to slap me like last time. Luckily, it didn't happen.  
"I don't know why you try to run away from us, but just know that we still consider you our friend. A lot of people don't usually get to. Especially when it comes to me".  
I was going to ask what she meant by that until she left again. Her face showed signs of pain just before she turned round. I didn't seem to care. And if they did care about me, they would let me go and let me find my own way in the world. I looked at the jug of water. I sighed. Damn this guilt. I took the stupid jug and drunk a quarter of it before putting it gently to the side. I looked back up to the sky. Several clouds had floated by, ruining the lovely view. Guess star gazing can be struck off the "Fun things to do while tied up" list I had in my head. No way I was talking to any of those over at the fire.  
Time went on. Why does it take me so effing long to fall asleep. I've been lying down for at least an hour with my eyes shut! I swear, this couldn't get any worse.  
It started to rain.  
...Seriously?  
Yep, no doubt about it folks, it begun to rain the moment I thought it couldn't get any worse. And guess what? IT GOT BLOODY WORSE! Screw you irony. Everybody else seemed unfazed by it and watched as the fire died down. I just sat on my own, refusing to get to the fire despite slightly shivering. I just watched the fire die down. I turned my back, thinking everyone else would just go to sleep. Nope, they started to talk to each other. *Sigh* I hate my second life. So much right now.  
It took ten minutes before they finally shut up. Maybe if I'm lucky, I can get some sleep within the next six hours! I shut my eyes and just waited. Waited to fall asleep or die. I don't care which comes first. Before I could do either, I felt myself being dragged towards the burned out campfire. I was going to tell them to cut it out, whoever was doing it, but I was too tired to care. I soon found myself in front of burned soggy firewood. I pretended to be asleep so that I wouldn't be disturbed.  
"I know you're awake".  
So much for that idea. I rose my head up and saw Viper. Smirking?  
"Why drag me over here"?  
"Because it's better to sit in a group so bandits don't pick you off".  
Yeah because that would be a real shame.  
"How touching of you". I mocked.  
She just smiled. The sudden change in attitude was a little unsettling. What exactly were they talking about that made her oh so happy?

"What are friends for"?  
Viper then curled up and... rested her head on me.  
"Ummm, You're on me". I said flatly. She just mumbled and then spoke.  
"I know. You make a good pillow".  
Nice compliment. I think. I just let her sleep and tried to get some myself. I'm gonna have a hell of a lot to deal with when I wake up tomorrow.  
MORNING  
Finally morning was here. I woke up and found Viper no longer resting her head on my back. Matter of fact, I couldn't see her anywhere. I was still tied up and Crane and Tigress were asleep. I then yawned, nearly waking them up with it. I waited another five minutes until Viper came back with a few apples in a bag. Or rather my bundle. She then placed one in front of everybody, then me. She then released the rope that bound me together. I would be an idiot to run, I guess she knew that too otherwise she wouldn't have done it. I grabbed it and began to eat it. The apple tasted much better than any other I've ever eaten back home. My real home I mean. I finished the fruit in under a minute and put the core to the side. I then looked at the others. They were still asleep. Viper was still eating her apple so I guess the only thing I could do at the moment was close my eyes and just rest.  
"Can I ask you something"?  
Amazing how I'm always interrupted when I try to get some rest. I swear they're doing it on purpose.  
"Sure". Why not? It wasn't as though I was doing anything else.  
"What made you leave the Jade Palace in the first place, and please don't lie about it"?  
I didn't want to tell them the truth about me being from another dimension and being a different species. I can imagine how that would go over even if they believed me.  
"I just want things to be the way they used to be for me". I swear I was going to break down again just thinking about my life. Viper put her tail around where my shoulder would be. If I still had any.  
"I can't say I know what you've been through...".  
That's the understatement of the year.  
"... But it doesn't have to continue. You still have the chance to change things around for the better".  
"And how do I do that"?  
"By accepting help when it's given to you".  
There was nothing else I could say. I just nodded showing that I understood what she meant. Now it was my turn to ask the questions.  
"Viper"?  
"Yes"?  
"Last night. You said you don't consider many people to be your friend. Why is that"?  
Viper frowned at my question and looked away for a second before giving me an answer.  
"The reason is because many people don't give me a chance because I'm a snake. Just because I have fangs, shed my skin and don't have limbs doesn't make me any different from anybody else"!  
I wanted to try to talk to her to make her feel better. However she continued before I had the chance.  
"A couple of weeks ago. Lord Fu Xi, one of the greatest snakes who ever lived, tried to poison the valley of peace. We stopped him but before we even knew what he was up to, the whole town looked at me as though I was a monster. Not the kind soul who has protected them for years".  
I saw Viper close her eyes, trying to block out the memory. Now it was my turn to feel sorry for someone else.  
"Viper".  
I used my tail to lift her face up so that she was facing me. I even wiped a tear away from her eye before it rolled down her cheek.  
"You had nothing to do with the villagers. This Lord Fu Xi was the one who struck fear in the villagers, not you".  
"And they still saw me as something I wasn't". She pushed my tail from her gently and turned away from me. I continued.  
"Then tell me. What when you stopped Lord Fu Xi. What then did the villagers think of you"?  
"The villagers didn't see me as a monster. But as the kind snake I was".  
"And what before Lord Fu Xi scared them? You're a warrior Viper, I'm not. They know you would never turn on them. Did they ever do anything as to say thank you"?  
Viper thought about what I had said, remembering before the Fu Xi incident.  
"They... they did build a well and named it after me"...  
"Exactly! I would feel much appreciated if something like that happened to me. It's just like what my parents told me. Look at life on the positive side and you'll go on to do great things in life. Focus on nothing but the negative, it will drag you down".  
Viper looked back at me and smiled once again. However I could still tell that she was upset on the inside.  
"Thanks Mike. I guess you do understand what I've been through".  
I gave a nod and patted her on the back. Once I removed my tail, she slithered away, leaving me to myself again. I guess that-  
"Why is his binds released"?  
Shit. Tigress was awake. I looked round to see Tigress grab to rope that once held me. She had no hesitation to tie them back on, quite tight too. I hissed in pain but did nothing else. I didn't want my other eye punched so I decided not to say anything to her.  
"We need to move".  
And so the journey continued.  
THREE HOURS LATER  
The rest of the journey was... bad, Painful, Not good at all. Tigress carried me the rest of the way. Her grip on me was strong. The rope wasn't helping either. I'm sure that a lot of my skin was grazed by now. We didn't even stop for another rest and I was starving. At least I had time to think. I thought back to what Viper said about what it was like being alone. I knew how that felt and it's made me push everyone away from me. Perhaps I should... give them a chance, and maybe things will get better. I hope. Even though that may take some time. Especially with Tigress.

When we finally did arrive at the Jade palace, Shifu was already outside awaiting our arrival. Tigress dropped me to the ground, winding me. Shifu looked at me and glared at me. Although I think he was more concerned on my bad eye. I watched him look back up to the three masters.  
"Is there a reason why our student is tied up like this"? His voice sounded angry. Tigress stepped forward, her face no longer seeping with anger, instead she was calm. I guess she had to be when it came to addressing your angry master.  
"Master Shifu. I"-  
"I will speak to you about your actions later Tigress! I'm disappointed that you would even think to do something like this"!  
Tigress bowed and stepped back. I could sense her worry. I looked back at Shifu. He now faced me.  
"However, I will need to deal with you first Python". Shifu took a dagger from his robe. Wait, WHAT? Given the circumstances, I tried to escape but the rope was too tight! I watched helplessly as Shifu pulled the dagger back like he was about to throw it. He then threw it right at me! I was too scared to blink! However, the daggers blade didn't touch me. I looked back to see if I had been cut or wounded. The only thing I saw that was cut was the rope around me. Wow, that was intense. I was glad to still be breathing but still, Jesus! Not cool!  
"Come with me".  
I followed Shifu inside, leaving the others outside. Once the doors were closed and no one else was in the hallway, Shifu turned back round to me and sighed.  
"First thing first, I apologies for my students rash behavior. I told them to convince you to return, though this wasn't what I meant".  
Shifu bowed as a sign of apology. I returned it.  
"I understand. I think she was just doing what is best".  
"And what do you choose to do now"?  
I sighed. England was still on my mind, and I would try again, most definitely. But... perhaps I should wait a little longer. After all, Viper was right. I have a good chance of living here, I shouldn't take it for granted. Especially since they took me in".  
"I... I still wish to go back home to where I belong. But after today, I realized that it would be best to stay here where I am both wanted and needed. Until my training is complete... That is if you'll still have me as your student".  
I saw Shifu look me over for a few seconds. He began to smile. Only a little.  
"I'm glad to hear that Python. Now then, onto more important matters". There's more important matters than what just happened? Shifu looked into my eyes for a second before walking over to the side of the room to pick up... isn't that Oogways staff? Sure enough it was! Shifu walked back up to me.  
"Tell me, what do you know of Master Oogway"?

...

Well another chapter done. Holidays are next week so I will have the time to write longer chapters for next week :D

For those who are new to reading this fic, no there will not be any romance between anyone including Mike and Viper. I know that this chapter may seem like it suggests it but trust me. It isn't meant to.

Also, I've tried to slow down on my writing. I hope that the speed of this chapter is more of an improvement. If not, please tell me and I'll do what I can to change it. Any criticism helps as long as it isn't written harshly, such as swearing and so forth. Other than that, please type away. With that all said, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Cheerio.


	11. Chapter 11

"... You know who Oogway is"?  
"Of course. He was my master".  
Oogway was Shifus master? I really need to catch up on the history of this place. But still, it would have helped if Oogway had told me all of this before! Would have helped a lot. Shifu took another look at the long staff he held in both arms before smiling and looking back up to me.  
"And there is no doubt that I miss him. More than anyone. But I still like to think that he is watching over us in the jade palace".  
My mind clicked back to the peach tree when I heard Oogways voice in my head. The voice that got me to think that leaving was the best choice for myself? Well I suppose that was my own fault. But all the same, I hope to at least go back to England, even if it is for a short amount of time it would still be worth everything to me.  
"Trust me Shifu, I know that he is".  
Shifu nodded in understanding.  
"Yes, I suspected that you were able to contact Oogway some time ago. Only a powerful spirit can raise a connection with the living by pulling them into the spirit world for a short amount of time. Usually when the chosen soul is sleeping or... deseased".  
Yeah, I figured that part out myself. Wait. Shifu... knew that I had met Oogway already?  
"How did you"...  
"While I don't know for certain how you came to meet Oogways spirit, I've learned that one who comes and goes from the spirit world comes back with an unusual smell based on the spirit they meet". Shifu then smelled the air around me and smirked.  
"For example, you still smell of peaches. I'd recommend showering to get rid of it".  
I suppose that explains how Shifu knew how I met Oogway and how he also knew that the spirit was indeed Oogway, thanks to my... stench.  
"I suppose that is why you offered me to train at the Jade Palace in the first place"?  
Shifu nodded up and down once. I did the same and continued.  
"Even so, I still apreciatte what you've done for me. Even if it is out of pity. Master".  
I bowed and took my leave through the big wooden doors, stopping once to look back at Shifu who was now placing Oogways staff back back where he had got it from. I wasn't sure whether to tell Shifu about me originally being a human. Would he even know what a human was? I haven't exactly seen any wandering around since I entered the Valley of peace for the first time. Maybe another time. Shifu then cranked his neck upwards to view a painting of Oogway in some kind of fighting stance. Amazing how portraits show the personality of who they are based on I thought to myself upon seeing the painting for the first time. I then left, and my mood was quickly ruined upon remembering who was on the other side of the door.  
Once I was out of the way, Tigress walked in at once, not even bothering to look at me, and shut the door behind her. Viper and Crane remained at the entrance. We said nothing to each other until Crane decided to break the awkward silence.  
"Sooo... how did it go"?  
I looked up to Crane.  
"I'm still given permission to train here so that's a good start".  
This seemed to relieve the two a bit as their faces became less tense.  
"What about... you know? England? I doubt that you've forgotten about that"?  
"I haven't, and I'm still going to make it a life goal to make it there".  
Crane and Viper exchanged looks, unsure whether to support me or argue against it. I didn't honestly mind which they decided. Soon enough they looked back at me and nodded. I got the message.  
"Thanks".  
I then left. Unsure what to do now. I guess I should just wait until lunch and see what follows afterwards.  
I spent the next few hours doing nothing other than showering to rid myself of the peach smell, which I'm surprised I never noticed. Maybe it's only other people who can tell. The rest of the time, I stayed in my own room, waiting until I could eat again. Travelling always made me hungry. When the lunch bell finally rung, I slowly got up and hesitated to enter outside of my room. I sighed, clearly there was no way to avoid what happened even if I do decide to stay in the room. I opened my door and went to the kitchen.  
When I entered, I found no one but myself in the kitchen. Perhaps they were just as nervous about facing me after what happened, though I found that unlikely. Eventually I heard footsteps from outside walking up to the barracks. The door opened and in walked Po. He seemed to have something occupied on his mind. I quickly learned that as he walked straight past me without a Hi or a wave or anything. He headed straight over to the kitchen and started munching on... someone else's food. I got off of my chair and went to see what was going on.  
"Uh, Po? What are you doing"?  
Po turned round in surprise with a face full of dumplings making me yelp in surprise.  
"Oh... uh... Immf oingh umptin imorhanf".  
"...What? Speak properly mate"!  
Po swallowed the dumplings, well half swallowed, some fell from his mouth and into his big fluffy hands. A little disgusting.  
"Hey Mike, didn't see you there". He spoke happily. Then, he realized who he was talking to.  
"MIKE, YOU'RE BACK"! Before I could react, Po had already picked me up and hugged me. Tightly. Very tightly. Jesus, this bear has a hell of a grip!  
"Po...".  
"It's good to have you return buddy"!  
"Po..."!  
"I thought you had left us for good"!  
"PO"! I barely yelled, catching the big panda's attention before he could continue.  
"Can you perhaps stop squeezing the life out of me"? I wheezed. Being the python you'd think I would be the one crushing him. That's irony I suppose.  
Po put me down and I continued to gasp and cough a little while longer until I felt satisfied that my ribs weren't crushed into dust. I then spoke.  
"Now that that's out of the way, what was on your mind earlier"?  
"Huh, What are you talking about, I... I wasn't thinking of anything, why are you asking"? Po said nervously. It was easy to tell that he was lying. But instead of pushing for answers I let it drop. I doubt that it was important to me anyway.  
"Okay, I guess it doesn't matter. Where is everybody else? You're the only one who's come in here within the last ten or so minutes.  
"Oh, right. I guess I should have told you... Everyone is at dad's noodle shop. We always eat there on Saturdays". He chuckled at this as though it was an important matter.  
"Then how come you're here eating, in the barracks"? I asked.  
"... I... had other things on my mind".  
I sighed and left the barracks, not having either the time or patience to deal with Po or his mysterious secret. I left the barracks and after some quick thought. I decided to head down to Mr. Pings noodle shop. I needed to eat something and Po is busy "Cleaning out" the kitchen as I speak, so eff it. It's not like I'm going to get a second black eye.  
Again I made my way down the stairs to the valley and remembered the way to the noodle shop easily enough. I passed the archway, the place was crowded. Much busier than it was the first time I came to see it. I noticed four members of the Furious five eating away at the table closest to the window hatch, three guesses on who didn't show up. I made my way over to the table, interested on how Monkey and Mantis would react as they were the only two who didn't come looking for me.  
Halfway to the table, Monkey took notice of me and budged Crane next to him and pointed at me. I sat down, eveybody on the table looked at me. God knows what they were thinking. I tried to break the ice.

"Hey guys".  
The response was... unusual. Mantis frowned and gave Monkey a small bag. Monkey smiled and patted me on the back, confusing the hell out of me.  
"What was that about"? I asked the primate.  
"Just a little bet we made on you being gone for good. Right Mantis"? He mocked.  
"Aww shut it Monkey boy"! Was Mantis's reply. I rolled my eyes. Maybe Mantis should lay off on betting against me. I shook it from my head and looked at the table. There didn't seem to be any plates or chopstick placed before them.  
"I take you've yet to be served"? I asked. Everybody nodded and responded with yes. Crane then spoke up.  
"We were still waiting for Po to arrive. I take it he's eating in the kitchen again"?  
"Yep".  
Judging by the looks on their face, this was an average thing from Po. Before anyone could say another word, I saw Mr Ping walk through the door to the kitchen. He walked up to our table, smiling as he noticed me.  
"Ah, Mike. So glad you could make it"! He said happily.  
"Really"? I couldn't help but ask, surprised that he was so friendly after last time.  
"Yah huh, other wise I wouldn't have been able to charge for full use of the table".  
Ah. So much for friendly. Ish. I face palmed myself and tried to order.  
"So what's on the menu for today Mr. Ping"?  
"Well, there's Noodle soup, bean buns and dumplings for the Lunch rush today".  
Not exactly much choice.  
"I... guess I'll have the noodle soup please".  
"Ah, good choice".  
Everyone else ordered the same thing and Mr. Ping left us. I felt a little uncomfortable to talk about leaving the Jade palace with Monkey and Mantis. I just hope that they wouldn't ask about it. But it did raise another topic from then.  
"Say, Viper".  
"Yes Mike"?  
"You remember how you mentioned that well that the villagers built for you"?  
"Yeah I remember".  
"I'd like to see it sometime".  
"Oh, well"...  
"Yeah, you may be a little dissapointed buddy". Mantis butted in before holding back a laugh. He was quickly silenced with a whack to the back of his tiny head from Monkey.

"What do you mean? They didn't tear it down did they"?  
"Nononono. Just, you know. Size may be a factor".  
"Look who's talking".  
Everyone gave a laugh at my comment. Mantis became quickly embarrassed and kept his mouth shut. Before I could continue with the subject, Mr. Ping brought out several bowls of noodle soup.  
"Order up".

...

Sorry for the short chapter everybody, I've spent a lot of my time looking after my Gran who fell down the stairs a few weeks ago so there may be a small delay with the next chapter as well.

Moving onto a brighter note, thank you everyone, this story has now reached 1000 views! Wooo! I only hope that it can raise higher as I continue the story, so big thank you everybody, and I hope you enjoy this short chapter. Cheerio!


	12. Chapter 12

As I took my first mouthful of noodles, I was impressed with how good they were. Better than my own noodle soup I made a few days ago! I continued to eat the bowl of noodles in silence as did everybody else. Once Mantis had finished his bowl, which was the fastest out of us all despite his size, he couldn't help but compliment the soup.  
"Ahhh, I swear this stuff gets better everytime I taste it! I gotta know Mr. Ping's secret ingredient"!  
Monkey then spoke up.  
"You mean like that one time you had to know and tried to sneak into the kitchen You know, when Mr. Ping chased you out with a fly swatter"?  
"Hey, I'd do it again if I could just find out what was in his noodles"!  
"Mantis, don't be so greedy. You should just be glad that you're being served after that incident". Viper interjected. I just listened in seeing how I was unaware of the full story on that day.  
"Yeah well... Fine". Mantis gave up. I couldn't help but imagine Mantis as Plankton from Spongebob after listening to the conversation. It brought a small smile to my face.  
"What's so funny"? Asked Monkey, noticing the grin I had plastered on my face.  
"Oh, nothing. Just memories". I half lied and continued to eat the rest of the noodles in the bowl. I quickly finished them off and tossed a few yuan on the table which I had gotten from a emssenger earlier before heading down into the village for training at the Jade Palace. Never knew you got paid to protect people but who am I to complain? I can think of a few superheroes who must be rolling in their graves right now.  
"So, are you still wanting to see that well? We've still got time before we train again". Crane asked me. There wasn't much else to do so why not? I nodded and Crane and Viper led me to where the well was located. As we walked away, I spoke up to break the silence.  
"I got to say, I'm surprised that Monkey or Mantis had nothing to say about me running off. Hell, they didn't even mention my eye".  
"Well, we might have had something to do with that". Crane replied.  
"What do you mean"? Viper then spoke before Crane got the chance to.  
"We asked them not to be insensitive about the last few days. With some... persuassion, they complied".  
"Thanks". Was all I said before keeping to myself.

TEN MINUTES LATER  
Well... Mantis was right. Size isn't much of a factor. The well wasn't even one foot high! However I kept from showing my disapointment from the others and smiled at them.  
"It's... a nice well". I spoke, trying to find the best words to describe the well.  
"Thanks. You know, I didn't even know this was named after me until it was built". Viper said proudly.  
"Yeah, it was a surprise for all of us". Crane said somewhat sarcastically.  
"So what about you Crane, did you have anything named after yourself"?  
"Who me? Nononono hehe. I'm not very noticable among the community". Crane spoke.  
"What are you talking about? You were the one who cut the ribbon for that childrens hospital a year ago. Remember"? Viper reminded the avian.  
"Oh right. I still remember being hospitalised after cutting through that silk". Crane said as he blushed remembering the incident.  
"You're allergic to silk"? I asked a little surprised that a kung fu master would have an allergy such as that.  
"Well, yeah"... He trailed off, not really wanting to go in any further on the subject which I was happy enough to leave alone. However...  
"ACHOOOO"! Crane exploded out, spraying me with saliva.  
"AGH, YUCK"! I exclaimed in disgust as I twitched from just being sneesed on. "That's just disgusting"!  
"Oh, I- I'm sorry". Crane took a small pause to sniff before continuing. "I'm allergic to freshly cut grass as well".  
"Great. Just great". I spoke with no emotion as I tried to picture myself in a calm envirionment so that I wouldn't freak out from being covered in God knows what kind of germs! "If I get a cold from this Crane, you're dead". I then wiped what I could from my face.  
"I'm gonna head back up to the Jade Palace. Maybe I can find something to burn my face off". I half joked before slithering away.  
Eventually I got back up to the jade palace and washed my face in the barracks almost immediatley. I still had another five minutes before training, there wasn't much else I could do within five minutes so for once, I got a head start from everyone else and procedded to the training hall to try the fire pipes. At least I could dodge one easily enough now, so why not try with two? Or there was the curved spinning logs that I still had to try. Yeah, let's give that a go.  
I entered the training hall and sure enough, I was the only one inside. I noticed some of the shelved weapons stacked up at the walls. Spears of different size and style, swords that could cut a rhino in half with ease, nunchucks, shields, every weapon that I could imagine, that wasn't a firearm, was within my reach. I slithered over to the right side of the training hall to get a better look at the spears. I've never actually handled an actual weapon before so the experience was uniqe to me as I grasped one of the shorter spears with my tail and spun it slowly over my head. The weapon was lighter than it looked, as though it was hollow. Did that mean it could break easily? I didn't bother to think as I kept spinning it for a little while longer until I held it in front of me as though I was actually about to stab someone with it. Twirled it round again and thrust it the other way. Nearly stabbing Shifu in the face.  
"How long was he standing there"? I thought to myself, feeling embarrased. Shifu seeme quite relaxed for a guy who was nearly accidentally impaled with a weapon over twice their own size, I don't think he even flinched or blinked at the point singing only an inch away from where his nose was.  
"Master Shifu"! I addressed. "I- I was just... training with some of the weapons"! I stammered. It was obvious that he didn't fall for my lie as he raised an eyebrow.  
"I noticed. Perhaps you would be better starting your training in unarmed combat". Even though it was a suggestion, Shifu still made it sound like an order. The last thing I needed was to anger him as well as Tigress so I put the spear back in the rack where I picked it up from and was about to jump into the pit until Po showed up. Shifu then left me to speak to Po. I didn't catch much of what theyy were talking about. Only that Shifu said something about a fight club before handing Po some sort of red paper note. I decided not to bother sticking my nose where it wasn't needed. I then saw Po leave instantly after he was done talking to Shifu, probably to complete whatever Shifu had in store for him.  
I then turned back to my training, not letting myself get distracted by Shifu's silent judging. I could sense him watching me from the walkway above. I just decided to work on the things I needed improvement on. NOT sparring, I draw the line there. I guess the spinning dragon blocks would be the best choice. I was already doing well enough on those but I could be better. So instead of trying two like last time, I would try four.  
I slithered in between four of the dragon blocks, centered myself, and pushed one of the wooden arms. It spun round quickly, even with the slightest amount of force it spun out of control. Thankfully I expected this as it had happened last time and stuck my tail up from the back of my head, stopping the arm from swinging round and clubbing me on the back. I swooped my head in the direction of the next dragon block to my left and whacked it with the tip of my nose. I quickly ducked to dodge the arm as it spun round and pulled my head back up only to quickly dodge the other arm from the first dragon block which was now spinning in the opposite direction after blocking it. Suddenly, the largest spinning limb from the second dragon block, the tail at the bottom, began to spin, forcing me to jump over it before blocking another wooden limb.  
This continued for a while. From two spinning dragon blocks, to three, to all four. I dodged, blocked and jumped my way through the whole exercise. That was until I was finally hit by the tail which caused my to fall to the ground. I then jumped from the four dragon blocks to safety before I could suffer from more than just a black eye. I then turned my attention to see if Shifu was watching. He was. Along with all the members of the furious five. My confidence quickly turned to embarrasment again as I straightened myself up and bowed to Shifu.  
"Six minutes. You're improving python". Shifu spoke with a small but easily noticable smile on his face. Everyone seemed to do the same. Well, everyone except for miss Buzzkill who stood there still glaring at me. I would have thought after the whole punching me in the face thing, she would have seen us as even. Some people. However my thought were interrupted as I sneezed, dropping everyones smiles. I just looked up to them and said five words.  
"Crane, dig yourself a grave".


	13. Chapter 13

So it turned out I had a cold now, thank you Crane, and was told to get some rest for the rest of the day, maybe tomorrow as well, and I'll be better in no time. A shame too because I was starting to make great progress. Having to block and dodge the dragon blocks, I never imagined that I could do anything close to that with a hundred years. Guess I should be proud. I made a difference to myself and showed what I'm capable of to everyone. I heard the door to my room creak. I looked to the side to see Viper walk in with a box balanced on top of her head.  
"Hi Mike".  
"Hi Nurse".  
She rolled her eyes and set the box down. My curiosity quickly ran out.  
"What's the box for"? I asked, pointing to the rectangular object with my tail.  
"Mahjong". She pointed out as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. Honestly, I didn't know anything about Mahjong. I only knew that it was a type of board game but that was all I knew, which raised a question.  
"How disappointed would you be if I said I didn't know how to play mahjong"? I asked apologetically. This didn't seem to phase the snake much as she continued to talk.  
"Not very, I can easily teach you how to play it. What with you being in bed for a while, I can imagine how boring it is just lying there".  
"True". I admitted.  
Viper then set the mahjong board in front of me and taught me everything I needed to know about the game, step by step. She had to explain the rules several times over before I had a good understanding on what I was meant to do. Apparently it was meant to be played with four people to make it more fun, but seeing how everyone had already made plans for the rest of the day, I guess I was stuck with just Viper for a while. Not that I don't appreciate the company, it's just that getting a cold was sucking at whatever morale I had left.  
Mahjong reminded me a bit of cards, without the betting. The most I could get to understanding the game was having to build a four sided city wall to win. Even so, I did begin to enjoy the game more with each passing second. We had a total of three games each which took maybe half an hour or so to finish. I lost every game.  
"That went well, considering this was your first time playing mahjong". Viper spoke to cheer me up.  
"You're kidding right? You kicked my tail at every game".  
"Still, first time Mantis played, he threw the board through the window when he lost".  
"That doesn't surprise me". I laughed, imagining Mantis getting all worked up over a simple- well, simple ish game.  
For the next hour, myself and Viper began to talk about ourselves. Turns out that Viper was the daughter of a great master and had even saved her own village from a fearsome gorilla bandit with ribbons. I couldn't help but smirk, imagining a huge gorilla get taken down by a young snake armed with dancing ribbons. It was pretty funny. As for myself, I talked about how I had always wanted to be an artist. That was what I was actually studying for until what happened happened. Still, I kept myself from mentioning that part and told Viper more about my family and how she reminded me of my own little sister, just that she wasn't a pain in the ass half the time.  
Eventually, I was back to being by myself. Viper had gone to train and I just sat in bed, staring at the ceiling for what felt like hours but was more or less just a few minutes. I decided to fall asleep to pass the time. One good thing about being sick, I fall asleep quicker than I would if I was perfectly healthy.  
AN HOUR LATER  
I woke up and sat up slowly. I looked round to see that I was still on my own. Whether anyone had come in to find me asleep, I didn't know. I needed to get something to drink anyway, my mouth was dry. I carefully got off of the bed and onto the floor and slithered out the bedroom door. I then made my way into the kitchen and got a small clay drinking cup, filled it, took a sip of water and returned to my room. At least I was about to until I saw the bedroom door move on it's own. There was no wind blowing either. Someone had just sneaked into my room.  
I set the cup of water down on the floor and went to investigate. I swung my head slowly between the door to see if anybody was in. There was no one. I slithered in carefully, looking round without a seconds pause. I could hear something moving round quite fast. It began to gnaw away at me. Until...  
"HEYMIKEHOWAREYOUFEELING"!?  
Something green fell on my face and yelled, scaring the hell out of me. I yelled and swatted the abomination off my face with a hard whack of my tail, sending it through the wall of Tigress's room. I breathed heavily and quickly realized that the green abomination was no other than...  
"MANTIS"! I yelled angrily. I watch as the little pest pulled himself through the new hole in the wall and smiled sheepishly.  
"Hey Mike, uhh... Just checking in to see how...". Mantis trailed off upon seeing how pissed off I was at him. I almost wanted to strangle him for being such a dick!  
"Okay well... Bye"! Mantis sped out of the room before I could unleash my wrath on him. I sighed and slithered back out of the room only to grab the cup of water and headed back inside,slamming my door.  
The rest of the day passed quickly. Everybody came at least once to say hi except for Tigress and Mantis so at least I wasn't lonely. I didn't even leave the room again for anything. As it became late, all I could do was hope that the morning would leave me in a better state than I was right now.  
MORNING  
I heard the bell ring outside and I sped outside the door and greeted Shifu. I guess a good nights sleep was all I needed, I felt more like myself. No headache or blocked nose. I could move round quicker. I looked opposite myself to find Po quite happy. About what I don't know but I had a feeling it had to do with yesterday in the training hall. I looked back to the end of the hallway. Everyone was making their way to the kitchen. I did the same and entered through the double wide door.  
Po was already on chef duty as he rushed over to the far edge of the room and prepared bowls of Dumplings for us all. I had to admit, the dumplings were the best things I had eaten in days, save for the noodles at Mr. Pings, so I took what I could and ate quickly. I was done in less than a minute. I shoved the plate away and saw that everyone was staring at me.  
"...What? I was hungry".  
Everyone continued to eat their food in their own time. Seems that my sudden gluttony has paid the price, waiting for everyone else to eat was just so boring. I would have taken more dumplings but Po was way ahead of me and took the remains and whatever crumbs remained before he picked up his plate and began to lick it clean after finishing. I just looked away, a little disgusted. Soon enough everyone else had finally stopped eating and began to speak. The first being Mantis who I couldn't help but notice was being watched by an angry Viper.  
"Hey uhh, listen Mike. I'm sorry for... well scaring you senseless yesterday".  
"No problem. We're cool".  
I looked back up to Viper who winked. I mouthed "Thanks" and began to plan a little revenge prank to use on Mantis for later. Before I could get far with my planning, The bell rang again and I got up and started to make my way to the training hall until...  
"Where are you going"? Asked Crane. I turned back to see everyone still in their seats.  
"Uhhh Training"? I said in a simple but unsure tone.  
"It's Sunday, we have the day off".  
"We- then why the hell did we have to wake up early"? I asked a little annoyed.  
"It never hurts to be alert does it"?  
"... I suppose".  
I felt a little disheartened. After the training session yesterday I felt like I was ready to take on the world. I gave a small sigh, mostly out of frustration.  
"At least we'll have the next two days off as well". Monkey pointed out.  
"How so"?  
"Duh, the winter festival"? Crane pointed out to me.  
"Oh, right of course". I lied, making it sound as though I knew what the winter feast was when in all honesty, I didn't know a single thing about it other than it being a feast at winter.  
"Remember last year? When Po got Tigress that present"?  
"You mean those slippers? How could I forget"? Everyone gave a small laugh except for Po and Tigress.  
"Hey come on! How was I supposed to know that Tigress didn't like slippers shaped like pink bunnies"?  
While the group laughed at Po's bluntness, I realized that they mentioned the word present. I then managed to put two and two together and realised that the winter feast was in a way, Christmas... My facial expression fell.  
"So anyway, Shifu has gotten a place at Mr. Pings this year, and"-  
"I'm not going". I blurted out, interrupting Mantis. Everyone, even Tigress, gave me a baffled look.  
"What"?  
"Are you mad"?  
"Wait wait wait. Does this mean I get your winter feast dinner as well"?  
"PO"!  
"Sorry".  
I spoke again to make my point clear. "I know what I said. I'm not going. Period". I then slid out the barracks and left everyone on their own. Usually I love Christmas, I have nothing against it. It's just that, well, this year is different. Very different. I shook the thought from my head and decided to train. Day off or not, I needed to do something to escape the so called joyful season.  
I entered through the training hall doors and down the wooden stairs. The building felt cold inside but that probably had something to do with the fact that there's no roof. I set up a punching bag with an old bag filled with sand and hoisted it up in the air with a rope attached to a large beam. Once the bag was in position, I began to whack and jab the bag with my tail, and every now and then, headbutting the thing. In minutes, my hits became harder and harder, trying not to think of the joyful holiday but failing miserably. All it did was send me in a small rage as I lashed out at the bag more and more until I accidentally penetrated the middle with my tail and watched the sand from inside it pour onto the ground.  
"Why couldn't I have spent Christmas with them one last time"? I asked myself painfully. I doubted my own family would be just as upset seeing how my "death" had been so close to the holiday. I wasn't the only one who would be suffering.  
Another twenty minutes I left the training hall and into my room, ignoring the calls from the five and Po still sitting at the kitchen table, wanting to spend the rest of the day, and the next few days away from anything related to this winter feast tradition.

...

Aaaand another chapter is out. On the next chapter, things will be a little more seasonal. As for why Po is so happy during the middle of this chapter, it has to do with the latest ep of Kung Fu Panda so I won't give any spoilers. But for today, I hope you enjoyed reading this chapter and I'll get the next one out within a few days. Cheerio.


	14. Chapter 14

For what felt like hours I sat on my bed. Remaining as still as a rock. Several times I heard someone walk up to my door, waiting and then leaving. I imagined that they were going to ask why I didn't want to go to the Winter feast, and sooner or later, I knew that one of them would.  
I soon heard another being walk up to the door and this time, knocked.  
"Come in". I said flatly, waiting for one of them to ask the question. However...  
"So I hear you won't be attending the winter feast this year Python".  
The question didn't come from the list of people I had been expecting. I quickly slithered off the bed and bowed to my master.  
"Master Shifu! uh, Yes, I won't be attending the winter feast".  
"I see. That is unfortunate. Is there a reason you're not coming"?  
"... It's complicated". Was all I wanted to say on the matter. I knew that Shifu would respect my privacy more than anyone but even still, I could imagine that he was just as curious.  
"Very well". Shifu turned round and walked through the door. But before he left my sight, he said one last thing.  
"I would be cautious if I were you Python. I would expect the five and Po to be more persistant on the subject".  
Shifu left and I closed my door. I looked through one of my windows to check the position of the sun. It seemed to be at its highest point of the day. I guessed that meant that it was noon. Twelve o clock. It would help that much more if I had a watch. Hell, I'd even go for a sundial.  
As I waited for the day to pass, I played as many songs in my head as I could just to keep me from remaining bored. Songs from Gorillaz, Daft Punk, Saosin, the list went on for a while. It had been such a long time since I had heard some of the tracks so every now and then, I would forget some of the lyrics or solos. I had just finished First of the year by Skrillex when I recieved another knock on the door. Maybe I should just hang a "Come in" sign on the front door, all the knocking kept making me lose track of what I was thinking of.  
"Enter". I half yelled, not even bothering to turn my head as this time I knew who it was that had knocked.  
"Hey Mike".  
"Viper". I looked back at the snake and saw her coiled up right at the door.  
"Before you say it Viper, I'm not going to the winter feast, no matter what you try to say".  
"I wasn't going to ask that".  
I gave a surprised look at her.  
"... Then what were you going to ask"?  
"If you wanted to come down to the Valley of Peace for lunch".  
"... I might as well I suppose. I was getting sick of looking at my wooden ceiling anyway".  
I got off my bed for the third time today and followed Viper out the barracks and down the stairs, in which I have now discovered that there are one thousand three hundred and eighty four all together, and into the valley where I saw the villagers setting up colorful lanterns and steamers. I fought the urge to frown at them as it would have been rude. Eventually I found myself back in Mr. Pings noodle shop. Then, something hit me.  
"Where's Po and the others"? I asked, following Viper to the table I was at last time.  
"They aren't here. I just thought it would be nice to just catch up, you and me". She smiled.  
I wasn't dumb. I realised what she was doing. She was going to talk to me on her own and eventually ask questions about the winter feast. My parents used to use this tactic on me when I was a kid when I didn't want to go to a school dance or a birthday party. This was the exact same thing.  
However I decided to play her game and sat down. At least I would be getting a free meal out of it.  
"I always love it when it snows. It makes the holidays that much more special". Viper began.  
"Yeah, it is beautiful". I admitted as I watched a few snowflakes fall from the sky, though there were very few. Some turned immedietley into water once touching the ground or the table. A few moments of silence passed until Viper thought up another question.  
"So I hear your training is improving".  
I did my best to hide my smile. She really should have practised what she was going to say. The poor thing was finding it hard to ask casual questions, interogation was really not her style.  
"Yeah, it's going well thanks".  
Another moment of silence passed.  
"Ho"-  
I decided that as humorous as this was becoming, I should just tell her the truth.  
"I know that you're trying to ask why I won't go to the winter feast Viper. You can't fool me".  
Viper's smiling face dropped, realising that her tactic hadn't worked. I kept smiling in victory. Viper sighed and got straight to the point.  
"I'm sorry. It's just that none of us want you to spend the holiday on your own".  
"Trust me, I'll live". That I am certain.  
Before either of us could speak, a large bowl of noodle soup was put down on the middle of the table with a bang, startling me.  
"One large noodle soup"! Mr. Ping announced.  
As weird as that was, I picked up the chopsticks and was about to eat the noodles until I saw Viper doing the same.  
"Wait, is this mine or yours"? I asked Viper. Before waiting for her response I asked the question to Mr. Ping.  
"Ah well, I thought that the two of you would like to try the new happy couple soup. Ten Yuan, good price yes"?  
My face dropped and slowly turned back to Viper who wore the same look on her face. I looked back up to Mr. Ping.  
"Um, Mr. Ping, We're not dating". I said slowly, still shocked from his sudden assumption.  
"Oh, my mistake. I thought tha- Okay" Mr. Ping took the bowl and placed it on another table.  
"I'll get you both a noodle soup each". Mr. Ping left and headed back into the kitchen. I looked at Viper who was supressing a laugh with her tail. I just shook the thought from my head and did my best to pretend that didn't happen. Though it was a little hard to come up with a different subject after that.  
"So... as you were saying"? Great. Now it was my turn to be the awkward one. Viper became serious once again.  
"Listen, Mike. I understand if you have a reason for not wanting to attend, but can I at least know why"?  
I didn't want to tell her the answer but, screw it, I'll have to eventually.  
"Putting it shortly, it's the first C... Winter feast I'll have spent without my family. So even if I go, I'll feel just as lonely. That's the reason".  
I looked down, trying to hide my saddened face from Viper. I could feel my fangs softly scraping against the wooden table. I took a good few seconds before I could speak again.  
"So this year, I'll be spending the holiday in my room".  
Mr. Ping came back through the kitchen door with two white bowls of noodle soup. I took the bowl and began to eat, partly because I was still hungry and partly because I didn't want to say anything else on the subject. Viper ate her noodles too but not as fast as myself. It didn't matter to me, the sooner I could finish the sooner I could leave.  
It took only five or so minutes until I had finished the contents of the bowl and chucked a few yuan on the table, so much for a free meal. I wanted to just slither away just then, while Viper was finishing off her soup. If I did, I knew that I would only delay the inevitable. So I just sat down and waited like the gentlesnake that I am. Once she finally did finish, she put the same amount of money on the table as I had. I then waited patiently for her response.  
"You won't be lonely. You still have us, your friends. Monkey, Crane, Po, Ti"-  
She paused as she noticed my doubtful face upon nearly mentioning Tigress.  
"Well... maybe not Tigress. But everyone else, including me".  
I took a few seconds to reflect on her words. I then decided on something that wouldn't make me seem like a total jerk. Something nice.  
"Tell you what, I'll do something to celebrate the season, one thing. Then I get to leave the feast okay"?  
"What are you going to do exactly"?  
"It's a surprise".  
"And if I say no"?  
"Then I won't come to the feast, simple as that".  
Viper gave a small sigh in defeat, realising that she wouldn't get any further with me or my answer.  
"Fine".  
"Thank you". The subject was now dropped, thank God. Now I can relax for a bit until someone else bothers me with the same-  
"Hey Mike"!  
God Dammit Po!  
I turned to the noodle shop entrance and sure enough, Po was heading our way. I waited until he was right in front of me before I spoke.  
"What do you want Po"? I asked at once, trying to sound as polite as I could but failed.  
"I was hoping I could speak with Viper alone".  
That was a surprise. It certainly showed on my face, I said nothing and left the noodle shop without looking back. Just as well. I needed to get to the market at once.

...

Sorry that you had to wait for longer to read this chapter. It's been a difficult time because I've needed to think about what I'm going to be doing after College. Now there is the possibility of me joining the navy in the summer, don't know whether to be happy or scared about it, but this story should most definitely be done before then. That's all I have to say on the subject, so thank you for reading. Cheerio


	15. Chapter 15

The snow was falling at a faster rate now that I had left the noodle shop. It was starting to cover the ground and would probably continue to snow for an hour at the least judging by the heavy snow clouds above.  
I made my way over to the market place. The reason being that I decided to buy the five and Po presents. At least I could then say I joined in with the festivities even if I didn't really want to. Plus, I suppose this was also a good way to say thanks to everyone for being so friendly. Even Tigress at one point who kept me from leaving. Unfortunately I tried to leave a few days later and broke the trust between us. That would take time to heal.  
Once I had made it to the first few shops, I walked around, trying to find the best gifts I could find that weren't too expensive.  
Within the first ten minutes, I had done well. For Po's present, easy, I got him a book on dumpling recipes. For Crane, I managed to get my tail on some fuzzy slippers. I noted how he hated the cold and snow on his talons earlier today. Monkey, I struggled with. But I found something he would appreciate. A joke book. I remember how he always told stories on pulling pranks on everyone, mostly Po, so I'm sure that would come in handy. Mantis, an acupuncture kit and Tigress, a stress ball. I even got Shifu a meditation mat. I didn't see him as a gifts type guy so I imagined that a mat would satisfy him.  
Now that's almost everyone... Who is still left? Oh right, Viper. I checked the stalls to find something that may suit Viper or please her. However, I couldn't find anything, always something about the last thing on the list being a pain in the ass to do.  
This finding gift thing wasn't working out too well at the moment. I had to check everything, books, accessories, food, clothing, nothing. The only thing that was left was jewelry. I sighed at my last choice. This was going to be expensive.  
2 HOURS LATER  
Fifty five yuan spent on Viper's gift alone but I didn't have a choice. Besides I was sure I would be safe. Girls like jewelry right? Anyway, I had all the gifts in a bag and instantly made my way up to the Jade palace, coiling a small section of my flexible body around the bag in order to get a proper hold of it while slithering up the stairs. Once I had made it to my room, I put the bag of gifts under the bed and decided to leave them until the next day, the winter festival.  
THE NEXT MORNING  
This morning came with both good news and bad news. The good news was that there was no gong, what with it being the day of the winter festival so there was that. The bad news was that instead of a gong, I was awoken by a knocking at my door, and I could swear that the knock came at the exact time when the gong was meant to sound off, so there wasn't any difference in when I woke up. At least I had gotten used to it otherwise I would be very moody.  
I got to the door and opened it, my line of sight was quickly overcome with black and white fur as Po rushed into me by accident.  
"HAPPY WINTER FESTIVAL"! Po yelled in excitement, oblivious to the fact that he just knocked me over like a bowling pin. I saw him look down at me as I lay on the ground in a comical fashion.  
"Wow, you must be tired, sleeping on the floor like that".  
I kept my mouth shut lest I said something I would regret.  
"Come on, we're all waiting on you"! He said like a little impatient child on Christmas morning, technically he was. I was grabbed my Po and before I knew it, I was in a wooden chair next in the kitchen with everyone else.  
I saw several wrapped presents being exchanged amongst the five, once noticing me, I received a bunch, even from Tigress! I excused myself to get the presents I brought, as I didn't have a chance to get them from under bed thanks to one impatient panda. I returned just as quick with the bag and handed them out to everyone one by one. Everyone was happy with their presents, Tigress, well she seemed to like it once she squeezed it as she tried to curl it into a fist for my face. Hopefully the stress ball will come in handy for both her and myself.  
I then handed out the last of my presents to Viper, you know the one that cost more than everyone else's present combined. Still, as long as she liked it I suppose it was worth it. I watched as she opened the small box that contained the gift. I saw her curious look quickly turn into a smile, a big one at that. Now this is just a stab in the dark, but I think she was happy with what I got her.  
I watched her take the gift out of the box, lifting it up for everyone else to see. Two lotus flowers, like the ones she wore on her head, only these ones were golden! What she did next, I was not prepared for. She slithered over to where I was sitting and when I was expecting a "Thank you", she hugged me, wrapping most of her body round my own.  
I automatically blushed, embarrassed a bit because of the fact that all the other masters who looked at me, either shocked or, worse, holding in their laughter.  
"You're welcome"... I spoke out, looking away. I then looked back to see her take off her own pink flowers and put on the new golden ones. They suited her well in my opinion. Once the happiness and laughter had died down, I opened my own presents which had already been wrapped up, making me feel a little cheap for not doing the same with my own.  
I got a blanket from Monkey, a jar of sweets from Mantis, a small box of scented soaps and fabrics from Crane, a hammock from Po, three throwing stars from Tigress, and from Viper, an interesting gift, some kind of red paint. I had no idea what I was expected to do with this, I would have to ask about it later. For now, I had fulfilled my promise and was about to leave with the gifts I had been given until Po stopped me. I turned up to look at him and saw a smirk on his face, I didn't like the looks of where this was going.  
"Not so fast speedy, there's still one more thing we have for you".  
"Which is"?... I asked, curiously.  
"You'll find out this evening". Tigress spoke, getting the point across instantly, which I frowned at. Damn. The next thing you know they'll be making-  
"Which means you'll have to do what we ask of you if you want it".  
- Demands. I sighed in frustration. I really didn't want to agree to it but the prize must be worth a few hours suffering.  
"I... accept". I hesitantly spoke.  
This brought a smile to everyone's faces which made me that much more uncomfortable. The next thing I knew, I was being led out of the room by Crane. I had a feeling they were going to use me in turns like children would do with a popular toy.  
I was taken into Crane's room, where I noted that unlike everyone else's room, there was no bed placed in the center of the room, just a mat. I think I read somewhere that some birds slept standing up, especially with long legs.  
"So what do I need to do for you"? I asked at once hoping to get this torturous exercise over and done with as soon as possible.  
"Well, as a Crane with allergies-"  
"Who sneezed on me and infected me with a cold". I added in, still a little upset about the incident.  
"- I find it hard to sleep in a dusty room, I think you know where I'm going with this"?  
Indeed I did.  
"Fine. Where's the broom"?  
Crane handed over a broom in a flash which I snatched out of his wing. He then wished me luck and left. I began to sweep.  
This wasn't as bad as I had expected it to be. It was only dust after all, and compared to my old bedroom, this was much better. Hell, Po's room is much cleaner than my old one! I swept the dust to the side slowly, trying not to breathe any of it in. Once I had all the dust collected, I had to simply just scoop it up with a scraper and put it in the bin outside. It took a few trips but it was done, thank God. One down... five to... go. My happiness was quickly drained as I found Monkey smirking at me from behind. In his hand, he had some kind of pie.  
"What are you planning on doing with"-  
SPLAT  
Ask a stupid question. I bloody bet he had learnt how to make the pie in that pranksters book I got him! I wiped the contents of the ruined pie from my face. I was going to suffer for this one.  
HALF AN HOUR LATER  
I think I am safe to say that this was the worst thirty minutes of my life. Being used as prankster bait for not only Monkey, but Mantis as well! The only upside about it was that it counted as Mantis's turn as well. Talk about killing two birds with one stone. Mental note, never use that expression around Crane.  
Tigress, she was much worse. She used me as target practice for several weapons including crossbows, nun chucks and some kind of weird break apart stick thingy called a tri bo yau. I hated it so much. I'm not joking. I. Effing. Hated. It. At least it only lasted a short while after nearly having my head taken off with a "Defective" bow and arrow.  
Po was easy enough. All I had to do was feed the guy dumplings while he lazed about. I didn't complain however, this one was much better than being attacked with dangerous weapons or being a prank monkeys victim. A couple of times he asked to be fanned which I did with an unfolded scroll, a blank one luckily or Shifu would have my hide to mount on his wall.  
Finally the last one was Viper. I was on my way to find her with the idea that she wouldn't make me do anything too harsh. At least I hope not, I was close to breaking point. It took a few minutes until I found her waiting in the barracks just outside my own room. With her was the can of that paint like substance she gave me. My guess was that she was going to give me a makeover. That's the only reason I can think of. An embarrassing thing to endure, but tolerable. Time to earn that special gift.  
"Hey Viper". I greeted, catching her attention.  
"Ah good, I had a feeling you wouldn't show up".  
"I didn't want to but hey, I've come too far to give up at the last hurdle. So what is it we are doing"? I asked, waiting for the obvious answer.  
"Simple, I'm helping you with your personal poem".  
"... My what now"? I asked, confused as hell wondering if I had heard right.  
Viper sighed and turned round so that her back was to me. I noticed several Chinese symbols on her back at which I had no idea what it said.  
"Like mine. To care and protect, to love and serve friend and family alike". She quoted for me. Just as well because Chinese wasn't an easy language for me to understand. In fact the only reason I knew how to use the crossbow of all knowing when I was evil was because it was an instruction scroll. It covered several different languages including English... Wait, does this mean that I'm speaking Chinese to Viper right now? Or has by some weird curse, Oogway has made it so that they speak English? I don't know. I best just shut up before my brain overloads from figuring out pointless shit.  
I just nodded slowly, understanding what she was asking for but, I expected something more... humiliating.  
"Why would you want to do that when you have the chance to do anything to me"? As much as I hated reminding her of that rule, I couldn't help but wonder.  
"It's what all snake warriors have, to show their mark as a true warrior who have trained under great masters such as Shifu. You've been training here for some time, I think it's safe to say you've earned it".  
"By running away twice and having an evil version of myself nearly kill Tigress"? I spoke blankly.  
"A warrior isn't seen for the mistakes he may make, but by the good deeds that he performs".  
I smirked. That seemed like something that Oogway would say.  
"Very well. Lets do this". I spoke with confidence, glad that I wouldn't have to suffer this time. Unless this turned out to be a lie and she was up to something else but Viper didn't seem like the type to lie and trick others.  
I slithered into the bedroom and allowed her to enter with the bronze can of red liquid.  
"So how are we going to do this"? I asked.  
"Just lie down on your stomach and I'll write what you tell me to from the base of your head to your tail".  
I nodded and put thought on what I wanted to be written. I only had one chance so I needed to be certain on what I wanted. A minute passed until I thought of the best sentence that would suit me.  
"To remember the importance of life and enjoy it, no matter the pain you endure". I stated once I had come up with it.  
Viper nodded and I put my head down on the floor and waited for the inscription to be written. It tickled but it was a small price to pay. It reminded me of getting a tattoo, only this one didn't cause searing pain. In only a few minutes, the tickling stopped and I was free to move. I turned my head to see my back. Sure enough, the words were written in Chinese symbols, standing out like the sun on a cloudless day.  
"This won't wash off will it"? I asked with a little worry.  
"It won't. It's not paint okay"?  
Then what the hell is it?  
"Okay"...  
"So, looks like you've earned that gift you wanted so badly".  
The gift! I nearly forgot!  
"Ah of course. May I have it"?  
"Yes".  
My face beamed up.  
"This evening". Viper finished  
I groaned in frustration and cursed to the ceiling above.  
"Of course! It HAS to be this evening! Silly me"! I ranted as Viper let out a small giggle at my overreacting.  
"So, would you like to come and see the Valley of Peace? It's always a beautiful sight with all the decorations scattered all over the place".  
I looked down for a second and was about to say yes until I saw Shifu's present still lying under the bed.  
"Perhaps a little later. I've still got some errands to attend to".  
"Oh, okay". Viper spoke softly, somewhat a little disappointed.  
"I'll only be a few minutes. Ten at the most".  
Her smile returned for a little while before nodding in understanding and leaving. But before she did...

"Mike"?

I turned to look at her.

"Thanks".

"You already thanked me for the golden lotus's Viper. Think nothing of it". I replied cheerfully.

"I'm not thanking you for the gift. I'm thanking you for putting in some effort to enjoy the holidays".

I then watched Viper leave with a smile before I had the chance to speak back. Once she had left, I grabbed Shifu's present and before leaving, I looked at the newly written symbols on my back, knowing that they would now be there forever. I seemed happy at this. At least I now knew where I belonged. I then tore my gaze from the mirror and headed off to find Shifu's room.

...

Fifteen chapters done already? How time flies. Thanks for the support everyone!

P.s. I've no idea what the Chinese writing on Viper's back actually mean so I made it up. I tried to find out online but with no success. Hope you don't mind. Cheerio.


	16. Chapter 16

I carried the mat up to the Jade palace hallway, hoping to deliver the final gift in person. I learned that Shifu's room was to the right of the end of the hallway so even if he wasn't there, I could just leave it there as well as a note. I opened one of the doors, and walking in, I noticed a duck, or a goose, in yellow robes, wearing a yellow hat, cleaning armor which probably belonged to a rhino due to the horn shaped metal sticking from the top of the muzzle. Was this the janitor? I've been training at the Jade palace for a while now and this was the first time I had ever seen him. Or her, I really couldn't tell from afar. Though in all honesty I thought the same of Tigress first time I met her face to face until I heard her talk. Good thing I kept my mouth shut about it otherwise I would likely been beaten to a pulp before being tied into the shape of a pretzel. The second the guy noticed my slithering in his direction, he immediately stopped cleaning and bowed to me. "Good morning Master Mike". He spoke in a slight nervous tone. I couldn't help but let out a small laugh upon being called a master. I still had a long way to go before even I could call myself that. Nevertheless, I bowed back to the duck and decided to learn a bit more about the guy. "Good morning..."? "I'm Zhen. The palace messenger". "Pleasure to meet you Zhen. I must say, I've never seen you here before". "Well, it's been a busy week for me. I've been having to deliver messages across nearly half of China"! He half wheezed as though he had just returned. Then again, maybe he has. "Seems you came back at a good time, what with it being Chri- the Winter feast today". I spoke up, nearly forgetting that here, Christmas didn't technically exist. "Yeah. Lucky me". The goose chuckled somewhat nervously. I better that hurry and give Shifu the meditation mat before I forget. "You haven't seen Shifu around have you"? "He's out of town for a meeting. He won't be back for several days". Would have been helpful to know that earlier. "Alright then. Thank Zhen". I turned to leave Zhen to his chores until something struck me. If Shifu was gone for the winter feast, then what was I meant to do with this meditation mat? By the time Shifu returns, according to Zhen, it would be far too late to give him the mat as a present. However... I suppose I could still give it to someone else. I took another look at Zhen, who was now moving onto a yellow pot on a thin post which looked as though it could easily be knocked over. I looked between the mat coiled with my tail and back to Zhen. I guess it was obvious what was going through my mind. "Hey Zhen". The goose turned to me just in time to react to catching a rolled up mat. "Happy winter feast". I gave him a friendly smile which Zhen returned after realizing what it was I had just thrown over. I then left the hall. Not exactly the way I expected things to go but still, worked out all the same. I met Viper at the top of the steps leading down and we headed into the town. Before viewing the town like she told me we would, I found myself being led back to the noodle shop one more time. However, instead of there only being ten people, the place was packed with twice as many creatures! All the usual ducks and pigs, the furious five and even a few new animals such as a water buffalo in green pants and a panther about my own age wearing a beautiful sky blue dress with golden patterns on it, almost as though she was waiting for someone to ask her to dance. All of them were standing near the entrance except for Mr. Ping and Po who stood at the opposite end, facing the crowd of thirty. "Good afternoon residents of the valley"! Po announced loudly so that everyone could hear. "Today, we celebrate the winter festival! Everyone feel free to stuff your faces, declare snowball fights and all the other bodaciously awesome stuff that comes around once a year"! I'll say this, Po knows how to make an interesting speech. Not that it bothered anyone as my eardrums nearly exploded from the roars and cheers around me. However Po hadn't finished. "But before we do, let's give a big Valley O Peace welcome"... valley O peace? That's a new one I've had yet to hear. I just rolled my eyes at Po's attempts to act cool. ..." To the Valley of Peace's one and only Honor Guard, Mike! And give it up for Ralph the water buffalo and Yinshen the panther the newest residents"! Wait, what?! Where the hell did the words "Honor guard" come from? I don't remember that being in the job description! Before I could say anything, the crowd erupted in a mix of cheering, hollering and hooting and I found myself being pushed forward to the front of the crowd and before I knew it, I was standing next to Po while facing the crowd with Ralph and Yinshen. I could nearly feel my irises shrink. I just hope we don't have to give a big speech or anything. Soon enough, I saw the Panther bow towards the crowd. I followed her lead, as did the water buffalo, nearly accidentally hitting me with his large horns. As we returned to our normal stances, we walked back into the crowd. I got into the middle of the crowd as best I could, trying to avoid being called out again. I then listened to the rest of Po's... unique speech. Unaware of Yinshen standing next to me until she spoke. "Not a fan of being the center of attention hmm"? I looked to see the panther smiling at me with green eyes. "I never saw myself as a popular guy anyway". I responded smiling back, being as polite as I could to the newcomer. "Can't say I blame you. Popularity can get you into a lot of trouble if you're not to careful". I nodded. A few seconds of silence between us passed and I saw the panther stretching her left paw out towards me. "I'm Yinshen". "I know, Po mentioned it". I spoke back, hoping I didn't just sound like a rude jerk. "No reason why we can't introduce ourselves to each other in person". She said calmly, her smile never dropping as though she was in the highest of spirits. I soon wrapped my tail around her paw and shook it up and down. "So, the Valley of Peace honor guard? Pretty impressive. Or is it the Valley O Peace honor guard"? She joked. I couldn't help but laugh. "Whichever one suits me best". I playfully replied. Yinshen chuckled. "So how about you, when did you move to the Valley of Peace"? I asked. "Only a couple of days ago. I couldn't stand the life of the big city any longer so I decided to settle down in one of the most peaceful towns I could find. And with the name of this village, I guess I found the right place". "You never know, names can deceive". "True. But given the scenery as of right now, I'd say it's impossible for this place to become anymore peaceful. Wouldn't you agree"? "Good point". Before I could continue talking, Viper interrupted us. "Hey guys, how are you"? She asked cheerfully. "We're good Viper, thanks". "May I say, it's a pleasure to meet you master Viper". Spoke Yinshen before bowing to the snake who did the same. "Yinshen was just telling me why she had just moved to the Valley of Peace". "A good thing she did too. But just so you know dear, sometimes things may become... hectic around here". Viper warned the panther who gave a small chuckle. "No worries master Viper, I can take care of myself if the situation calls for it". After giving a small smile, Viper explained something about exploring the rest of the town as we discussed. Crud, I nearly forgot about that too! "Right, of course. Yinshen, would you like to join us"? "Sorry. I wish I could but I'd better introduce myself to Ralph and a few other latecomers. Hope you don't mind". "No no. Don't worry about it, we understand". With that, Viper and I left the noodle shop. ... YINSHEN'S POV I watched carefully as Mike and the other snake left the shop. Once they did, I couldn't help but smile a little bit wider before thinking. "Cute guy. Shame my job comes first". As soon as I was certain no one was watching me, I exited the shop and made my way around the corner with only one objective in mind. ... That's another chapter done. Plus I managed to introduce a new character so that's a bonus for myself. But is she what she seems? Guess you'll have to find out in the next chapter 


	17. Chapter 17

"So, Shifu's out of town I hear"? I slithered along with Viper through the town,watching as she pointed out the decorations and the spirit of the festivities. It was then I decided to raise a question or two. "Yes, this is one of the few times he's been invited to another palace for the winter feast. Mostly, the feast of the masters is held at the Jade Palace. This year, the masters agreed to have it at the Onyx temple. Afterwards, he'll be sparring with some of those masters he studied with years ago, kind of like a reunion". I nodded in understanding. I still wanted one more question answered before going any further. "So what was all that about earlier with Po"? "What do you mean"? "The whole honor guard thing. I don't remember having to be called that"? To my surprise, Viper let out a laugh. "Oh don't worry. That's just Po's way of making things sound cooler. At least to himself". "Ah. Say no more". I guess I'm still just a normal warrior or something for the time being. Soon enough, Viper went back to talking about the town and soon, began to talk about how she became who she was today which was a very interesting talk. Eventually we got to a quiet location all to ourselves and sat down on a nearby bench. "... And that's how I became one of the Furious five". Viper finished after talking for God knows how long. Not that I had a problem with her talking about her life, it was just that after listening to something for over an hour straight, you get tired. Basically like my life through school. "So how about you"? I turned to face her. "Sorry"? "What about your life"? Well shit. This wasn't good for me. I mean, what was I meant to say? That I lived in England in a different universe and was killed by thieves before being sent into China by Shifu's now deceased master? Part of me wanted to say exactly that, just to see her reaction but obviously, I couldn't in case she thought I was insane. Then again, I would think the same thing if I was her. Guess I'd have to make something up. "I... worked on a potato farm until I was twelve". I began already making up stupid fake memories. "Once I had become thirteen, I set off from home and traveled the country until taking a boat to China. I roamed the land for a couple of years, came here and... well. Here I am". I finished my incredibly short, non detailed story as I couldn't think of anything else to add in. Needless to say that Viper wasn't impressed. "Sounds... nice". She struggled to say, finding the right words. "Yep". Was all I could reply. I then looked around, trying to help block out the now awkward silence. Nothing interesting either left or right of me. I then looked up to find... seriously? Effing mistletoe. Okay, no worries. As long as Viper doesn't- "Is that Mistletoe"? Shit. Well maybe she won't get the idea to- Viper began to blush. Nope. Too late, she's already thinking of it. Well perhaps I can sneak aw- she's holding my tail now. Effing fantastic! Don't get me wrong, I like Viper as a friend. But this... this is just weird to me. I may be a snake but I'm still human on the inside who likes human girls. Not snakes! Plus, I didn't feel comfortable with putting my face near to something with fangs. "Viper, I know what you're thinking, but you don't have to"- I was then cut off. "I know, but everybody has to if they're under mistletoe, especially if someone's nearby. Kind of like a tradition. Just imagine it as... a game". I'd like to know any sort of game that relates to kissing! Maybe truth or dare but nothing else came close. I sighed. Screw it. Regrettably I closed my eyes and sensed Viper leaning in. She was just about to- I heard someone screaming. Yes! Thank you merciful God! I instantly pulled my head back and let go of Viper before zooming off, trying to pinpoint the source of the noise. I didn't bother to look back to see Viper but I imagined that she was just as relieved. After all, she did say that it was tradition. Just like some people at Christmas back home. I made it into the west side of town and into an open area. There I saw a female pig screaming wildly as though something was inside her brain. I slithered up to her and tried to calm her down. "Madam, is everything alright? What's wrong"? I asked quickly. "I-I- my necklace, i-i-it's be-been stolen"! She stuttered. "It was given to me by m-my husband ten years ago"! I nodded and promised to track down the thief at once after getting her out of harms way and leading her back to the noodle shop with some of the guests. I then began to search for anyone suspicious. A few minutes of searching and I wasn't having much luck. I couldn't find a single person let alone a thief. I travelled along and turned a corner and could hear footprints running in my direction. It sounded too rushed to be a normal calm citizen. Only someone who was trying to escape would be running so quickly. I readied myself to strike. Soon enough, I turned the corner and struck once the thief was only a few feet away, only having enough time to barely stop as I saw who it was. "Yihshen"? Sure enough, it was Yinshen. She looked tired from running around. "What are you doing, running around"? "Trying to find Mrs Dechen's necklace. I assume you're doing the same thing"? I nodded. "How kind of you to help. The poor lady's in tears"! "How do you know her name"? "I'm a close friend of Mrs Dechen, it's part of the reason I moved here in the first place. I went to visit her ten minute ago, that's when she mentioned that she had been robbed and I've been searching since"! I nodded and followed the panther. Two heads are better than one after all, and it didn't take long until we found something that likely linked to the robbery. Yinshen suddenly stopped upon noticing something in the ground. Footprints. I took a look, my first thought was that these footprints proved next to nothing. However, Yinshen said different. "These footprints seem to be stretched out, as though someone was running away. And from the shape, it seemed to be someone with hooves for feet". "That narrows the culprit down a bit". I argued. "I agree, if it wasn't for the width between each hoof print, plus the prints are slightly larger than a pig or a boar. Almost as though it was a... buffalo". Yinshen stood up before facing me. "I know who stole the necklace". She figured it out already? And just by looking at some tracks in the sand? Part of me was shocked by how quickly she had solved the first part of the puzzle while the other part of me wasn't because of her being a panther. Big cats in the wild usually have excellent hunting skills. Even the female lions do most of the hunting for its kin so I guess the same would apply for panthers and other big cats. "Let's go. We've got to get moving. now"! The both of us ran as fast as we could, following the prints to the end of town. It was there we saw a water buffalo running into the bamboo forest. A buffalo with green pants. Ralph. In his hand I saw a white necklace grasped tightly. "Looks like we found our thief". I acknowledged. "Then let's go get him". Yinshen agreed, we both ran to catch him, speed was on our side and we where easily able to catch up to him within seconds. I then threw myself at his feet and wrapped my body around his legs and tightened my grip forcing the guy to fall over. "You're not going anywhere big guy". Yinshen spoke. However, once she did, another two buffaloes dropped from the bamboo stalks. One in orange pants and another in blue, both wearing shoulder pads. "Hand over the necklace, and we'll leave you unharmed, kitty cat". The one in orange spoke up. Yinshen began to smile. "Looks like you boys are about to learn the hard way"... She then got into a defensive stance like a kung fu warrior. "... that this cat has claws". I then saw her charge at both buffalo. The one in orange swung a punch at her which she grabbed with one paw before twisting it to the left, causing the buffalo to trip allowing Yinshen to use momentum to pick the beast up and throw him straight into a bamboo stalk which broke in half at the force the buffalo hit it. The second buffalo foolishly attacked but before he even got the chance to hit Yinshen, she dropped to the ground and spun her legs round in a three sixty motion and knocked the blue one off his feet. Then, before the guy could even fall to the ground, Yinshen swung her legs upwards and over the buffalo then bringing them down quickly on his chest, causing him to slam into the ground much harder than if he had fallen normally. All I could now hear were groans of pain from both buffalo as Yinshen got to her feet and walked back over to me, one paw on her hip. "Well, that was fun". I smirked. Then I heard a groan below me. I looked down and realized that I was still wrapped around Ralph's legs. I then let go, certain that he wouldn't have been stupid enough to make the same mistake his buddies made. Turns out he was. The minute I released him, he tried to go for me. I responded by hitting him in the stomach with the tip of my tail, as though I was thrusting a spear into him, then pulling my tail back, I jumped into the air and did a front flip with half my body sticking out far enough to hit Ralph on the head, easily, but ferociously, knocking him to the ground. I think I managed to knock him out, he didn't seem to be moving. He was certainly breathing so at least I didn't kill the guy. "Not bad for someone without limbs". Yinshen complimented. "Thanks. You know, that was the first actual fight I've had". I admitted proudly. Up to this point in my life, I often ran from fights rather than face them. Now that I had faced a fight, I felt like an entirely different person. In more ways than one. "Still, I wish I hadn't knocked him out. It would have helped to know why he was after a simple necklace". I took the necklace from Ralph's hoof. "I guess it doesn't matter anymore. I'd better return this". I was about to head back to the village until Yinshen spoke up. "Perhaps I should do it. I am Mrs Dechens friend". "Maybe, but I need you to look after these guys, in case they decide to get back up". I then slithered into the town with the necklace before Yinshen could argue and quickly headed into the noodle shop within a minute. There, I found the pig. Upon seeing me with the necklace, her mood instantly changed from super upset to over excited and ran over to me to take the necklace back and put it around her neck. "Thankyouthankyouthankyou"! She repeated several times before calming down". "Think nothing of it Mrs Dechen, I was only doing my job". Once I had spoken, her look became confused. "Umm, my name isn't Mrs Dechen". "Pardon"? "I'm Mrs Tien, owner of the Valley of peace clothe shop"? "Wait, then why did Yinshen say that"... I trailed off and slithered as fast as I could back to the spot where I and Yinshen encountered the buffalo. I got to the forest easily enough, but Yinshen or the buffalo were nowhere to be seen. "Damn". Was all I could say. There weren't even any footprints to follow. I looked into the forest before slowly heading back. Unfortunately I wasn't looking where I was going and accidentally bumped into Po's soft belly. "Hey bud, what's up"? "Long story". "...You wanna talk about it"? "Not really, everything went alright until I left Viper under the mistletoe, then things became"- "Whoawhoawhoawhoa"! Po interrupted. "What"? "You left Viper under mistletoe"? "Is that really relevant at this point"?! "Hey, I'm just saying, ya know? I mean, it is tradition". "Oh Jesus Christ Po, don't tell me you believe that stupid tradition too". "Okay... I won't"? I sighed. "I'm out of here". I suppose in fairness, I should at least apologize. Viper wasn't hard to find, just look for a long green slithering figure which stood out among the population, simple enough. I saw her sitting down on another bench and decided to say something while I could. "Hey Viper, I just wanted to apologize for... you know... leaving you under mistletoe and... stuff". She turned round to face me, however instead of having the face I expected, anger, I was given one of sympathy. "Hey, don't worry about it. I heard about what happened with Mrs Tien". She slithered off the bench and in front of me. "You did the right thing". "Thanks, but just before we nearly... did what we did... I heard a scream. Why didn't you follow"? "I... I guess I got distracted". Viper blushed. I sighed. "You know what? I'm still willing to uphold tradition if you want". "Oh! well, are you sure"? "Sure, why not"? I saw Viper close her eyes and waited. Luckily I had already planned on this, finding a way of upholding tradition without properly kissing the snake in front of me. So I simply leaned forward, and kissed her. On the head. Once I pulled back, I saw her look at me with surprise. I could tell she wasn't expecting that which made me laugh. "Very sneaky". Viper smirked. "Yeah well, you know me". ... Another day, another chapter. A few things I'd like to bring to mind. First off, I mentioned that I would be off to the navy last time. Well, that's all changed thanks to an email a few days ago stating that I now have a place at an animation university which is delightful so even if I don't finish my story in September, which I hopefully should, then I'll still be able to continue it at Uni. The second matter is that the mistletoe scene between Mike and Viper? That was mostly just filler for this chapter. I've been wondering on whether or not to make the two a couple or not in the last few chapters but I don't know whether I should in case it ruins part of the story. If anyone would be kind enough to leave a comment on your thoughts about it, I'll be sure to take it into consideration. With that all said and done, Cheerio. 


	18. Chapter 18

Looking back, I wished I hadn't said anything about the stupid mistletoe thing. I don't know why I did but still, what happened happened. Still, I guess I solved the problem for both parties so there's no point of complaining. At least now I had fulfilled the whole, spend time in the village for a special gift, quest. Evening was now upon the village so I guess now was the time to ask. "So, it's the evening". Viper looked up to see the suns position. Sure enough, the bright burning star was slowly moving out of view behind the mountains. "So it is". "Do I get that gift now"? I asked impatiently, but being fair. I did have to wait a long time just to know what this gift was. "I guess so". Viper then slithered ahead and gestured for me to follow. Where I expected to be taken back to the noodle shop again, I was a little surprised to find myself being led up the Jade palace steps and arriving at the barracks. Once reaching the front door, Viper told me to wait outside for a minute before she herself went in, leaving me on my own for a while. It took a total of twenty seconds until the front door opened again. Viper came out with a thin package about a foot long. She handed it over, or rather tailed it over, and I opened it. The present was some kind of short blade. A weapon. It was silver and seemed to be very well crafted. There wasn't much to say about the handle. It was only a few centimeters long and was circular, barely big enough for my to fit my tail inside a few inches or so. On the inch wide blade, there was some sort of Chinese inscription which I couldn't read so I would need to discover it later when I get the chance, but I made myself look as though I understood it so as not to offend Viper. "It's beautiful. Thanks Viper". I looked back at the weapon and turned it round. I saw a piece of paper attached to the bottom of the weapon with string. I looked closer and saw that it was the price tag. My mind nearly exploded upon seeing how much the blade had cost! "Seven hundred Yuan!? You spent seven hundred yuan on this, for me"?! I asked a little surprised but also a little angry. Winter feast or not, this was way too much for anyone to receive as a gift! Vipers smile slowly faded, just as surprised as myself with my anger. "Actually, everyone chipped in. Monkey, Crane, Po, everyone at the Jade palace except for Tigress and Shifu". I recounted. So if Viper, Monkey, Mantis, Crane and Po paid for this thing, that was still a hundred and forty yuan each! even split, it was too much which just increased my guilt. "Viper, that's still too much money for you guys to waste on me". "What about the golden lotus flowers you got me"? Viper asked, pointing to the two metal flowers still perched on top of her head. "Those were only fifty five yuan! Not even twice as much as what you paid"! "That's still a lot of money and you still bought it". Viper replied, slowly loosing her patience. "Because I couldn't find anything else to get you, that's why I bought them". "I see"... This argument was getting either of us nowhere. I then tried to give her back the blade, but due to her sudden stubbornness, she pushed it back to me. The last thing I wanted was to be yelling back and forth with a snake, even if I was one as well, so I just slithered past her and made my way inside. But even so, she kept speaking. "Where are you going"? It was here that my patience snapped. "Back to my room! I already lived up my end of the deal. I didn't say anything about enjoying it.!So bye"! I slammed the door to my room once I was in and placed the tail blade against the wall gently. It was only after slamming the door that I now suddenly felt like a big jerk for doing what I just did. But should I really? I did everything that was asked of me today, despite the feelings I've had against the holiday and it still ended in a big burning ball of fire, in more ways than one. The mistletoe, Yinshen and the buffalo thieves, and now this. While I would admit it was the most action packed holiday I have ever spent, I still felt the day long and agonising. I just decided to sit down and let off some steam while I could. I had a feeling that there was still more of this day to come. ... Hi everyone, I'd like to apologize for how very short this chapter is but it has two reasons behind it. The most important one being that thanks to college activities and a job interview, I won't have anytime to write out the next chapter until saturday which probably wont be posted until sunday so I wanted to leave you with a small chapter as well as an explanation. The second reason being that I've noticed the last couple of chapters in the story has developed an interesting layout. All the paragraphs seem to be merged together so in this chapter, I've tried to space them out more. I really hope that it works. If not, oh dear. But now that that's said, I'll see all of you next Sunday. Cheerio! 


	19. Chapter 19

After calming down, I finally left my room and walked outside. It was snowing lightly once again on a near cloudless night sky. Exactly how long I spent in my room, I didn't know but long enough for the moon to come out, so an hour at the least. I didn't exactly feel proud of what happened earlier and I knew it. Seems I would need to apologize to Viper. Again. Still, at least I have a little time to myself. I travelled up to the peach tree and looked over the valley. I had to admit, the view was peaceful, gives a person time to think. Even from afar, I could still make out the sounds of animals cheering and whatnot which made me smirk. It really reminded me of the city of Leeds, minus the drunks. But still, it was a scene that played through my head without me needing to even think about it. I still stand by what I said, about prefering Christmas with my family, but I might as well face it. It's very unlikely that I'll ever return home. Ever. But it doesn't mean to say that I have to spend my life a rude arrogant jerk, I've done that a little too often lately. A moment later, I broke my view from the village below and turned round to leave, taking a look at the small peach tree as I did. I made my way to the stairs to the village, but before I even turned the corner, I found Tigress and Monkey in front of me, they seemed just as surprised to see me. "Hey guys. How's it going"? I asked, trying to keep things friendly as Tigress seemed a little angry, as usual but still it unnerved me. "Hey buddy, We're just heading back to the barracks for the night. Mantis challenged me to a drinking contest earlier on and now my head is spinning like crazy. I'm going to lie down for a bit". I shook my head. I can only imagine the headache he'll get in the morning. I then turned to Tigress. "So why are you up here"? "I'm training tomorrow. Thought I'd get a good night sleep". "Don't we have the day off tomorrow"? "No excuse to slack off". I was about to talk back but I noticed a look from Monkey which said. "Don't bother, already tried myself". I kept my mouth shut until I was asked a question. "So, are you heading back down"? "I guess so. I've got some things to sort out". "Alright then. Good night". "Good night". The two then walked past me and I headed down into the village until I heard Monkey yell something to me. "I won by the way, thanks for asking"! I smiled and laughed. I could only imagine how Mantis was holding up. Guess I would soon find out. I made my way down the stairs and into the village where some of the house lights were turned off, probably because like Tigress and Monkey, they were packing in for the night. I kept slithering towards the noodle shop as it was where everyone seemed to hang out all day and made my way in. I then saw an amusing sight. Mantis was trying to walk around on one of the tables while nearly falling over. He was drunk. I moved in to get a closer look. The poor guy looked like he was going to puke, swaying around and every now and then, singing the lyrics to the song I'm a little teapot rather quietly. How Monkey had beaten him without getting drunk, I didn't know. Maybe Mantis had to drink a whole normal sized glass or something. Still, I tried my best to ignore him and saw Po handing out bowls of soup and noodles next to the bug. Good thing I still had a few yuan on me. I made my way up to the serving window. "Good evening Mr. Ping". I called out to the goose at the back of the kitchen. He turned round to see me and took my order. One bowl of noodles was enough for myself, though it did cost a little more than I had expected, four yuan. Last time I only remembered paying three. Still I didn't mind and took my bowl over to an empty table. I had no idea where Viper and Crane were, maybe they headed back up to the Jade palace as well, guess I'll have to apologize tomorrow. No matter, right now I was glad to be eating something, because I've had next to nothing all day. Soon I was joined by the panda himself. "Soooo..."? He asked. I looked up from the noodles, confused what he meant by that. "What"? "How do you like your extra gift we got you"? "The sword? It's lovely, really it is. But"... "But"? "A little expensive don't you think"? "Well, maybe a little. But still, your own weapon? How cool is that"? I gave a laugh at Po's over excited attitude. "It is pretty cool, I will agree. But honestly Po, you and the others didn't have to pay so much for some guy you've barely known for a week". "Come on, you're kidding right? You're like family now to me and the guys"! "Hey, ain't you that stupid python guy who made me lose two bets"? I turned my head to see drunk Mantis now swaying side to side in the middle of our table, trying to keep his balance with all four legs. "Why'da gotta go and... uhhh... be... limbless... THERE, I SAID IT"! I looked back at Po. Looked like he was just as confused as I was. "And another thing! why do clouds float!? HUH? It makes...no..."... Before things took an even stranger turn, Mantis lost consciousness and fell face first into the table. I turned back to Po with a smile. "So. What was that you said about being family"? "Yeah... that doesn't count, he's drunk". "Want me to take him back up to the barracks"? "Nah, I got it. Dad can handle the shop for the rest of the night". I then watched Po scoop up Mantis with one hand and walk through the archway. I just returned to my noodles while I could. There was something a little different about the noodles flavor wise. I think there was extra salt added to the noodles. I actually found it to be better with salt so I had no complaints to share. A few minutes and I had finished the noodles. Everyone else had more or less left to go back to their own homes. I best do the same. I reached the barracks easily enough and slithered in. At this point it was something like eleven O clock, I think. Hard to tell without a watch. I climbed into my bed, curled up, and fell asleep and waited for morning. ... *BONG* I instantly climbed out of the bed and out of the room at lightning speed. "Good morning ma-". I stopped myself. I just remembered that Shifu was still away and that I was the only one outside their room. Great. Just great. Now it'll take ages to fall back asleep. I just slithered back inside, hoping I didn't wake anyone up. I did what I could to fall back asleep, but my attempts were, as usual, in vain. Eventually, I accepted the facts and decided to make some coffee. I needed it. I checked the cupboards for any kinds of coffee, nothing. Not even jasmine. Guess water will have to tide me over. I grabbed a clay jar, filled it up to the rim and gulped most of it down. I then took a few slices of bread and swallowed it whole. You know, one of the things I hate most about being a python is no longer being able to chew food. I couldn't bite it with my fangs so what else could I do? Still, that only makes my top five. The top reason being no limbs as pointed out by a drunk insect last night. THAT! was what I hated most of all. Why couldn't Oogway have changed me into a lion or something? Would have been much better. My thoughts were soon interrupted as Tigress walked in. Oh how the lively atmosphere is sure to follow. I just watched as she walked past me and helped herself to tofu cubes. She then sat down at the opposite end of the table. I didn't have anything to say and she didn't seem to care so the both of us ate in silence. I looked at her to see if she was as tired as myself. She wasn't. Probably from going to bed early last night. Eventually I got the courage to say something. "So... I just wanted to say thanks for the throwing stars". "Shiruikens". "Yeah... those". "You're welcome. Let's hope they'll improve your weapon handling skills a little better". She said, only not in a rude way. I guess she's finally starting to forgive me after running away. At least that's one step forward in my book. "I hope so. If not, I still have the tail blade in my room so that'll be helpful". "Yes, I heard about it. A weapon created for serpents. Often created from steel for the blade and iron for the tail handle. Usually one, maybe two inches wide". Tigress explained as though she was an expert on weapons. Maybe she was for all I knew. "I guess that fits the description". I admitted before taking another drink of my water. As I did, Tigress seemed to look down before speaking something I did not expect. "Listen, I... I would like to... say I'm s-... I apologize for punching you a few days ago. It wasn't very professional of me and I should have known better". "It's alright. I've already forgiven you for that. Besides, my eye's almost as good as new". Tigress just gave a small smile. At least I think it was a smile, but the sides of her mouth raised only slightly so I couldn't really tell. She then left to train, but before she could walk out of the kitchen, I had a sudden thought. "Hey Tigress". Tigress turned back round. "Shifu told you to apologize while he was away didn't he"? "...Maybe". I laughed to myself and Tigress walked out of the barracks. I then swallowed another piece of toast before two more guests walked in. Crane and Viper. "Hey guys". "Hey Mike, how are you"? Crane asked cheerfully, hardly affected from waking up early. Viper on the other hand, was ignoring me. I guess she was still annoyed with me for yesterday. Of course, now that I think about it, I seem to have a lot of my problems revolving round Viper. I guess I'd better say something. The sooner I do, the better for both of us. "Are you still mad at me Viper"? In return, I got a glare which stated. "What do you think"? "Look, I'm sorry. I just didn't expect for you to have to pay so much for some guy you barely know". "You know, I have to agree. A hundred and forty yuan was a little pricey for all of us to spend on Mike". Crane sided with me. "Maybe, but you didn't have to be a jerk about it and lash out at me". "She does have a point Mike. You should have been a little nicer". "Whose side are you even on"? "I just want peace, okay"? spoke the neutral bird. "Tell, you what then Mike". Viper spoke up. "What"? "I'll forgive you on one condition". "No problem, name it". "You have to help me out with today's chores". "That's it? Easy"! I said with confidence. "What do I need to do"? "Just to help me move some stuff around, clean the training hall, dust some artifacts, sort out scrolls, clean the weapons, train, cook lunch, get rid of any rubbish that Po may have left around and get supplies from the village". I could swear that my eye twitched throughout that list. "That's a days worth of chores"? Holy hell! And I thought my mom gave me a hard time when she told me to tidy the house! "It is. Unless you can't handle it". "Oh I'll show you". I smirked. "Lets go"! I replied with confidence. I got from my chair and without thinking, dragged Vipers chair with me, which she was still sitting on, leaving a poor confused crane to get his own breakfast. I slithered out of the barracks and managed to get twenty feet before I realised something. "You know, you're free to get off that chair anytime". "You're the one who suddenly began dragging it. Besides I think I could used to having you pull me around". "Yeahhhh now you're just pushing your luck". Viper rolled her eyes and got off the chair. I pushed the thing to the side and allowed Viper to lead me to the first chore stop. Just to spare everyone from boring details, the chores took hours! Each one more boring and time consuming than the last! One of the last few chores was weapons cleaning where I asked if I could take a moment to grab my tail blade and shiruikens. She nodded and I took a few minutes to fetch them all. If I was going to keep these things then I at least wanted them to be in good condition. I had to take them back into the now clean training hall, which took over two hours to sweep by the way, and clean them, wash them and dry them for ten minutes. Once satisfied, I moved onto the spears and swords and whatever else was lying around. Whilst I was drying off a double sided weapon, an axe on one side and a stone hammer on the other, Viper decided to stir up a conversation. "So how did you enjoy the Winter feast yesterday"? "Overall, I liked it until the whole argument". "Yeah, that would have been something we could have avoided". "But still, I guess there's alway next year. If I'm still here". "What do you mean"? "...Nothing. It doesn't matter". Good thing Viper decided not to ask any further. In all truth, I didn't know myself what I meant. I guess I was still hanging onto some hope that there was still some way of getting back where I belong, even though it was likely impossible to pull off. I then put the large hammer axe thing down and begun to move onto a much smaller dagger, getting the depressing thought off of my mind. "Anyway, I wanted to ask you something". "Sure, go ahead Viper". "It's about the mistletoe tradition". "Are you serious? I thought we had gotten that out of the way"! "Can I please just finish"? "...Fine". "Why did you decide to mention it a second time after helping out Mrs Tien"? "I guess I just didn't want to seem like a jerk, you know, tradition and all". "You do know that you're supposed to actually kiss the person on"- "Yeah, on the lips. I know. But... I...". I couldn't think of an excuse. I had a feeling that this wasn't going to end well for myself. Time to get out of here. "... Does it really matter"? "I just felt like it should have been pointed out". "You know what, I'm just going to go ahead and get the supplies from the village. Right now". I grabbed my weapons and left. I got no reply from Viper, I guess she just felt a little guilty asking me about something I didn't really enjoy. It only took a couple of minutes until I was down from the Jade palace and coming up to the first shop I could find. But still I couldn't get that stupid conversation out of my head. Why the hell did she even mention it? Seems a little unusual to bring something like that up. Unless... Oh dear God, please don't tell me she likes me! I really hoped my conclusion was wrong! The last thing I needed was to be dating. Especially with a snake. I shook my head, getting the thought out of my head as best I could. "Okay, no worries. I just need to calm down and focus on the supplies. Once I get back, try and break it to her gently, I'm not looking for a relationship". On the bright side, there always remained the possibility that I was overreacting and that I was a little paranoid. Tossing all thoughts on the subject aside, I entered the shop and decided to get some more bread for the barracks after I had eaten the last few slices during breakfast. Unfortunatley... "Sorry, we've no bread". The shopkeeper said upon hearing me ask for some. "Okay, then can I get some carrots please"? "No carrots either I'm afraid". "Potatoes"? "No". "Onions"? "No". "A grain of salt"? "No". This can't be happening. There's no way this can really be happening to me right now after such a crap day of cleaning. "So just to clarify,you have no food in this shop at all"? "Nope". "... Okay. Guess I'll have to try the next place. Thanks anyway". Twenty two minutes and six different shops later, it seemed that everywhere I went, the markets, shops, everywhere was completely devoid of food! How is everyone else at the Jade palace going to react when I tell them that everywhere just happens to be out of all food? I soon found out for myself once I had rounded everyone up and shared the news back at the Jade palace barracks. Everyone had their own reaction, but Po, he was almost upon the verge of fainting, the poor guy. "So there isn't any food in the Valley of Peace. At all"? Mantis asked, his eyes were bloodshot from the drinking last night and he was rubbing his head. Monkey was the same but didn't seem to be as badly affected, his eyes were much less red. "Seems so". "Any suggestions"? "I'll go and ask Zhen to send a message to Master Shifu at once. It's possible that we have food bandits on the loose. If this keeps up, we'll soon have a famine on our hands". Tigress then left to find Zhen. Everybody seemed slightly worried about the possible crisis. Po was already preparing himself by taking almost every single bean bun and dumpling he could find into his room. The way he was acting, you would have thought it was every man for himself, or in this case, every animal for themselves. Everyone but myself and Crane left the kitchen and either went to their rooms or to do something else. "Good thing you went down to the Valley when you did, otherwise it would have been much later until we'd have known". Crane told me. "Yes well, I had some... motivation to go to town. That reminds me, I better go and help Viper sort out some scrolls. Wanna come with? You might have fun". I spoke sarcastically. Crane looked back to see Po taking a few more dumplings that had fallen on the floor from him trying to carry a hundred at once. Talk about overpreparing. "I'd... better stay here and make sure Po doesn't clean out the entire kitchen". "Yeah, that would be best". I left and tried to find where Viper was. It took some time to track her down as I had no idea where all the scrolls were kept to begin with. I had to look through every room and tunnel that I passed until I finally saw her already putting away a few of the scrolls on some wooden shelves above her. I entered the room and slithered next to her and grabbed some of the scrolls that were lying on the ground and put them on top of an empty shelf. "Hey Viper, you okay"? "I'm fine. I think the real question is, are you"? "Don't worry about me. It was nice to get some fresh air after six hours worth of working". "Yeah, sorry about that". I guess that, against every fiber in my limbless body, now would be a good time to find out if she actually liked me, so I opened my mouth and almost at once choked on my words. "Viper". She turned to look at me in the eyes smiling, putting me more on edge. "Yes"? I wanted to make something up but couldn't. Eff it. If I get slapped then it's my own fault, but it's the only way to know for sure. "Do you... like me"? ... Okay, here it is, the next chapter has arrived a few day earlier than I said. Guess I managed to get some time off from college for finishing ahead of everyone else ^^ Anyway, I remember asking you guys if you thought that Mike and Viper should be together. I won't tell you what I'm going to do but all I'll say is that it will be revealed in the next chapter which will also be out today. Lucky you eh? XD And as for the food famine, the next chapter will be revolved around the episode Hunger Game which was released a month ago, so spoilers, don't read the next chapter if you want or still have to watch that episode. But if you'll excuse me, I need to finish off the next chapter for tonight. Cheerio 


	20. Chapter 20

Viper looked at me, with her blue eyes nearly bulging out of their sockets at my question. I couldn't say that what I asked was subtle, but it was the only way I could think of asking at the time.

"...Sorry"?

"Nothing, it was a stupid question forget about it. Sorry I said anything". I said all at once, knowing I probably just made myself seem like a creep. Go me. Genius. I returned to the scrolls, not even daring to look at Viper who I was certain was still looking at me with her shocked expression. The next thing I knew was that I felt Vipers tail curl around my back, as though offering a comforting hand on a shoulder, and spoke.

"Mike, I... I'm sorry, I didn't mean to put pressure on you for poking around at a sensitive subject. I do respect your judgement on it as much as myself, so I'll tell you my answer if you still want".

I nodded, still unable to look back.

"I like you as a friend, yes. But... I think I like you as something more".

I had no idea what to feel at this point. Happy, nervous, disgusted, I didn't know. About a month ago, if you had asked me if I had ever imagined something non human to fall in love with me, I'd had said that you're insane and maybe even call the police. Now, it was happening right at this moment! But I'm swaying slightly from the matter at hand. I'd better give my own answer.

"I... need some time to think about this".

I barely saw Viper nod out of the corner of my eye and returned to work, but I wasn't having none of that.

"I got these scrolls. You need to take a break".

"Mike-".

"I'm not taking no as an answer Viper". I argued back as I started to push Viper gently out the door.

"It's only fair that you need to break, especially with a lot on your mind. More than my own".

I got her out of the room and offered her a friendly smile before closing the door. I could only muster the energy to speak one sentence. "That was an interesting experience". I then went back over to the scrolls and put them on the correct shelves, unsure what to do of the new situation. I just decided that it would be best to wait a little while until I could give an answer, because part of me was yelling for me not to, and the other part was saying that it was for the best. God I hate myself sometimes.

3 DAYS LATER

The food situation in the Valley seemed to be getting much worse. People were starving and complaining, even blaming each other for the famine. Two of the villagers actually came all the way up the stairs to complain about it, and a third blamed the theft of food on the new guy. Me. However, once convinced that I wasn't the bad guy but rather someone helping to solve the case, he left me alone thank God.

As for everything up at the Jade palace, half of our time was spent patrolling the streets of the Valley of Peace in order to try to catch the thief or thieves. Training increased and I spent most of my training with Crane, more out of choice than being forcibly teamed up. Viper and I had remained silent to each other ever since what happened during the scroll sorting, even when we did train together. I even noticed that she had gone back to wearing her pink lotus flowers again. I did try to say something to her but every time I tried, words failed me as my mouth went dry, unsure what to this point I think she's just waiting for an answer.

Shifu had to leave the Winter feast celebration at the Onyx temple stating that an emergency situation was at hand and returned yesterday after receiving the message from Zhen and decided to deal with the situation through honorable intentions. In other words, the valley goes hungry, the warriors of the Jade palace go hungry too. Myself and Po were horrified at the idea, Po more so than me after his efforts of having stored more than half the food from the kitchen into his own room. Therefore, we had to have five grains of rice for every meal. Just five grains! I'm not even joking! I might as well die of starvation now, despite the famine becoming serious since yesterday. Just one day into the five grain of rice diet and I was already hungry. As soon as lunch was ready, I was sitting next to Po, poking my pieces of rice around like a small child would. I was soon broken out of my trance by Po's rumbling stomach. Not by the rumbling in general, but the noise that came with it! It was so loud that for a single second, I mistook it for an earthquake! I even nearly and instinctively dove under the table! I wonder if anyone in the Valley heard it. I turned to see Po, acting like he was in pain, holding his stomach and groaning before slamming his head on the table, nearly smashing his plate into pieces in the process. Then, as things weren't bad enough, he began to complain.

"Five grains of rice? FIVE? That's worse than none".

"Well, if you want, I could take them off your hands for you". I told Po before reaching for his plate, only to have my tail slapped away by the panda, using one of his arms to cover the plate from me, protecting the plate from me as though his life depended on it.

"As long as the village goes hungry, we will go hungry as well".

Tigress pointed out to the pair of us, although it felt a little like she was scolding us like a mother would with a pair of undisciplined children.

"Yeah, but when we agreed to that, I thought it meant "hungry". Not, HUNGRY"! Po moaned.

"Sorry Po, but until we catch the food bandits, and end this famine, five grains is all the rice you-". Viper suddenly stopped and seemed to widen her eyes slightly at Po, I turned to see what she was looking at and saw Po looking back at her rather oddly, with half closed eyes and his tongue rolling out of his mouth.

"You're seeing me as a giant noodle again. Aren't you"?

Giant nood-... I shifted my chair away from Po as quietly as I could, next to Monkey, until I was convinced that I would be safe from his grasp. Better to be safe than sorry. Po then snapped out of his trance at Vipers words and my shuffling away from him. He let out a soft sigh.

"Sorry guys. It's just that I- I- need food"!

"We all do"!

Crane spoke up, getting a little fed up with Po moaning about how hungry he was. How did Po think everyone else felt? Well, almost everyone... "

I dunno what you're all complaining about, I. Am. Stuffed". Mantis spoke with a half full mouth. I felt like he was mocking us and I gave him a glare. Without me even noticing, everyone else had the same thought. Shame that the bug didn't get the message. "...What? Rice in my teeth"?

This was breaking point for Po as he snarled and reached for Mantis, but before he could do anything he would regret, Shifu, who had apparently come out of nowhere, had stopped the Panda from even touching Mantis and began to lead Po away. I made no hesitation to grab Po's plate and add the contents to my own plate. At least it would make a decent tenth of a mouthful. But before i had the sweet chance to do so...

"Come with me". Shifu directed at the table, everyone got up and followed their master.

I hesitated before attempting again to eat until Viper began to pull me by the neck, forcing me off my chair. We soon found ourselves being taken outside the barracks and slowly descending down the stairs.

"This famine is reaching a critical point. I'm not sure how much longer the villagers can hold on".

"Any luck on figuring out who's stealing the food Master Shifu"? Tigress asked somewhat hopefully, although all of us knew the coming answer.

"Unfortunately not. But we do have a short term solution".

My ears perked up. Anything to get more food sounded like a good plan to me. However, I heard slobbering sounds towards me and turned to the source to see Po now looking at me. Shit.

"Po, please don't tell me you're seeing me as food right now"... I asked worried upon the thought of having my head being bitten off.

"Okay... I'm not". Po said lazily, still looking at me with hungry eyes.

Luckily, Tigress came to my aid by slapping Po round the face. This seemed to take effect instantly.

"I'M GOOD, I'M GOOD"! He yelled the second he had been touched.

We then focused our attention on Master Shifu, though every now and then I kept checking on Po.

Just in case. "...A newcomer, Madam Jhao, has donated a shipment of rice to the village. I am sending you to protect that rice".

We continued to follow Shifu a little further down the stairs until Po began talking, though mostly to himself.

"By eating it? Cause then it would be in our stomachs and then noone will be able to-".

The combined looks of everyone was enough to snap Po back to reality again. I really hoped he wouldn't be talking like this during the mission.

"I'm open to other suggestions"... Po offered with a sheepish smile.

"...Your journey will take a few hours just to arrive. I suggest you leave as soon as possible". Shifu told us before leaving.

"We better get moving. While we still have our strength". Tigress spoke up like she was second in command and began to lead us all down the barracks stairs, and then down the main ones to the village. However, Po was, once again, thinking about food which cost him as he lost his footing on the first stair before tumbling down all the other ones until I could no longer see him.

"Is... he going to be okay"? I asked concerned.

"Oh please, Po could take a hammer to the face and shrug it off almost instantly". Monkey reassured me.

"Didn't that actually happen at one point, you know, with that one eyed wolf boss"? Mantis spoke up.

"One eyed wolf boss"?

"It's a long story".

I kept silent. I wasn't sure if I wanted to know the story behind it so I just shrugged and kept heading down to the village. Eventually we reached the bottom of the steps, and Po as well, just lying in the dirt. An hour passed and we were in the bamboo forest when we should have actually been at a rocky canyon, half a mile away. The journey so far would have been so much quicker if it wasn't for...

"Come on Po! If you keep stopping to lick rocks, we're never gonna get there".

Po had now been licking a boulder with green moss for the last five minutes, tasting it at different angles to try and overcome his hunger issues.

"It's the next best thing to eating! Besides, some of these rocks taste pretty good".

"Really"? I asked a little intrigued.

"Yeah, totally"!

Normally I wouldn't do this sort of thing, but I'm too hungry not to try. Either that or I've, at last, gone crazy. I got myself to slither over to the rock and actually lick it. After the first second, I reared back in disgust of the taste of moss and spat out what I could!

"AAAAH, JESUS! WHAT THE HELL WAS I THINKING LISTENING TO YOU"!? I yelled while nearly gagging at the horrible aftertaste that remained on my tongue.

"Yeaaaah... This wasn't one of those rocks". Po spoke, offering me a sheepish smile. In return, I angrily looked at him before slithering back to the rest of the group. As I did, I noticed that Monkey was trying to hold in his laughter, the jerk. We began to walk again a little quicker than normal to try and make up for lost time, but soon enough, someone else grabbed my attention.

"Hey Mike, can I talk to you for a sec"?

Now Viper had begun to talk to me. After three days of being silent to each other, she was now speaking. This ought to be good. I just nodded my head and soon enough, we began to travel a little slower than everyone else until we were at the very back of the group and were about one or two meters behind, far enough for us to talk without anyone listening in on us.

"What's going on"? "

I just wanted to apologize, for not being able to speak to you lately. I can assume that you've a lot on your mind. You know, about us"?

"I do. And in all truth Viper, you're a sweet...snake and all, but I need to really think about this".

"What about the last few days you had to think about it"?

"Actually at that point, I was still getting over the fact that you like me. Don't get me wrong, I mean that in a good way. It's just, I guess I'm not too good when it comes to going out with girls".

"What do you mean"?

"Well... umm... Okay, take my last date for example. We went out to this fancy restaurant and had a big three course meal. At the end of it, she demanded that I should pay for everything. I objected and argued that the bill should be split. The argument got a bit out of hand aaaand... I can't remember much after that but when I woke up, I found myself on the floor in pain next to a tipped over table. That night left me with a broken heart. And an empty wallet".

I wasn't entirely sure if it was a good idea to bring up exe's to someone who likes me, but I didn't have much of a choice.

"Sorry to open old wounds".

"I got over it quickly enough, but it did put me off dating for a while".

"So I take it you want it to stay that way"?

"... Tell you what. Once this whole famine thing is dealt with, I promise to give you an answer then. Deal"?

"Are you sure, the last thing I want is to put pressure on my teammates".

"I'll be fine. Really".

"And you're sure you'll be ready to give an answer"?

To Viper's surprise, and even mine, I leaned in and kissed her on the cheek.

"I'm sure".

This got Viper to smile at me, for the first time in days. I watched as she returned to the main group and began to think to myself.

"Did I really just kiss her just then? What's wrong with me?! I- just- just don't do it again, alright"? But still, even with me thoughts speeding through my head, it did help me out on what answer I should give. Maybe.

The rest of the journey took another hour at the least until we could see the storage facility, standing like a fortress over the barren green and grey hills of grass and rock. It was brick colored and looked as though it could hold it's own against a siege.

"Whoa, Madam Jhao must be richer than Lee chi Nut pudding in a brown sugar demigloss"!

I was really getting fed up with Po talking about food and was about to yell at him until Crane beat me to it.

"We get it! You're hungry"!

At least he put it nicer than what I was going to say, and just as well he said it. The last thing we needed was for me and Po to start arguing, especially since the storage facility was just right there in front of us. We made it up to the entrance and Po immediatley opened the door. Seriously, he couldn't have knocked instead of just barging in? Oh, at least he did eventually knock on the door AFTER entering! That makes up for the fact that he's technically breaking and entering! Aaand everyone else followed suit. Yeah, that's just great. By the way, I should mention that whenever I'm hungry or tired, I get seriously moody, which explains most of my attitude today. Before half of the group could walk in, we were greeted by... I think an antelope... was it? Yeah, I'm gonna go with that. And one that was perhaps sixty years of age.

"Ooh, companies here"! She sounded friendly enough, I'll give her that. "Welcome, welcome, welcome! It's so nice to see new faces. I do get so lonely out here on my own. I'm Madam Jhao".

The antelope bowed to the furious five and myself who returned it. Po, seemed a little distracted with all the bags and crates of rice in front of him to even notice the introductions. However he soon received more than an intro. Madam Jhao ran right up to him, Po's stomach being the only thing stopping her like an air bag in a car crash. She then proceeded to hug the panda, getting her arms a little less than halfway round his stomach. Of course if it wasn't for the lack of food, She'd likely struggle to hug a only third of his stomach.

"Ooh and you're the mighty dragon warrior! Sole protector of the Valley of Peace"!

Sole protector?! What about the rest of us? Did she just instantly forget who we were after seeing Po?! What the hell? Po seemed to be taking the praise a little too well.

"Well... I mean I-".

Before he could utter another word, Everyone looked at him with disbelieving eyes.

"Well not really the SOLE protector"...

"Would you like to come in and see portraits of my grandchildren"?

"uuuhhh... sounds great. Really. But, we should probably get that rice back to the village"?

Yeah, probably should. But Madam Jhao seemed persistent to stop us from leaving.

"Ooh don't go yet. Have you eaten? I took the liberty of preparing a small lunch". I then watched as Madam Jhao pulled Po over to... Oh my God! THAT'S a small lunch? You could feed a family of ten with all the dumplings and cakes my eyes were witnessing at this moment!

"Until now, I didn't know my eyes were hungry too"! Po spoke, summing up my feelings as well.

Without even thinking, I slithered over to the table that held the food up to Po's waistline, Po with the same idea in mind, ready to eat. But before we got the chance to pick something up from the table... Mantis stopped the both of us, keeping us at bay.

"Guys, Honor demands that we not eat while the village starves"?

...Damn it!

"Honor demands that I not starve while my stomach eats".

"...What? That made no sense at all"! I argued, not following Po's meaning.

"You're right! I must be delirious".Po turned back to the feast. "Should probably eat something".

Po leapt into the air, why he didn't just walk over to the table and grabbed some food then, I don't know but it didn't matter as the food and bowls suddenly ran off the table, causing Po to smack into the table, tipping the thing over.

"Rats".

"I know, I was so close"!

"No Po, Rats"!

Sure enough, I could see at least a dozen rats in pants, carrying every scrap of food that once sat on top of the table. I could hear Po exclaiming in disgust at the disease carrying creatures. One of them, slightly bigger than the rest stood forward in front of all the others of his kind, taking a dumpling from one of them before speaking.

"Ooh, Jade palace warriors. How very whimsical". His voice was low and crept me out a little.

He then began scanning us with his eyes, as though staring through us. Soon enough, he stepped forward again until he was but a few feet away, and sat on the dumpling like it was a mini beanbag.

"Why so sad? Is the chunky panda hungry"? He mocked Po.

"Trust me mate, if you had to listen for hours on end at his constant moaning of how hungry he was, you'd realize how stupid that question sounded".I told the rat, earning me a wide smile from him, almost as though he was laughing on the inside.

"You're the ones who've been stealing the villages food".

Wow. Great observation detective Tigress.

"And you're the ones who are going to try and stop me. Well here we all are. TRY AND STOP ME"!

Before anyone could move, the rat pulled out a mini wooden hammer and used it to crush the dumpling he had just sat on. Most of the remains flew into Po's face, getting him angry.

"No one hurts food on my watch"!

Po charged forward towards the head rat, who calmly grabbed a small red napkin in front of the panda like one of those bull fighters they have in Spain. Po managed to get close enough to throw a punch but the rat was able to avoid the blow with ease. Everyone around me, save for Madam Jhao, took it as a signal to round up the rest of the rats before they got away. In seconds, we surrounded the small group of vermin. But as soon as we had, the rats just instantly gave up, throwing the food down and raising their tiny arms into the air. Talk about easy. Oh how wrong I was. I saw something move above the wall and looked up to see several dozen other rats staring back at me. They were everywhere! along every inch of the wall! They started climbing down the walls after us. Now it was on!

Three rats came at me with chopsticks for weapons. I managed to avoid their attacks easily by dodging left and right. Eventually once they were tired out I jumped over them and swiped all three with a whack of my tail, sending them flying before they even managed to turn around to face me. As soon as the three landed, another two attacked me from behind, grabbing hold of me and begun to hit me as hard as they could. I quickly jumped into the air and twisted my body round and coiled the two up with my back and squeezed, not hard enough to kill them but to cause them enough pain to stop them from attacking. No matter how many of these things I beat, they kept on coming, as though defeating one made another two take their place. I just kept hitting and jabbing them as fast and as accurate as I could. But before the rats could overwhelm me, they begun to fall back, grabbing what food they could as they did. While everybody stood down, seeing that the fight was over, Po kept running after the remaining rats now disappearing through a hole in the wall. I watched just to see Po dive at the head rat and miss. It seemed they all got away. After watching Po get up and start walking like a zombie behind Monkey, I checked on Madam Jhao, who was now lying on the ground after the head rat attacked her. But after Po had walked by, her eyes opened and she suddenly sprung up into Po's large arms.

"You saved me from that awful rat! Thank you thank you thank you"!

"You really are lonely aren't you"? Po asked her, but whether she didn't hear him or chose to ignore him, I wasn't sure.

"They took the rice"!

I spun round back to the crates. There was nothing! Not even single bag of rice!

"...GOD DAMN IT"! I yelled, unable to hold in my anger any longer, yelling to the sky in blind fury. It was only when I looked down to see everyone staring back at me with shock, was I able to settle down.

"...Sorry". I apologised. Though inside, I felt a little calmer and happier than I had been all day. I really needed that.

But with that said and done, Madam Jhao climbed off of Po and looked at the empty crates and wagons.

"Oh, this is just awful. I'm so very sorry. I'll send for another Provence at once".

"Many thanks Madam Jhao".Tigress spoke and bowed along with everyone else. "Come on! We need to tell master Shifu about those rats".

We all left at once, but before I could I gave an apology to Madam Jhao for my cursing. She simply smiled and waved it off. She sure was a nice kind hearted lady, I'll say that. I then left and followed everyone else. Crane had to call to Po to get him moving as Madam Jhao had begun speaking to him. I wasn't sure what it was about but it didn't matter.

"So Mike... Angry much"? Mantis asked with a snigger.

"Only when I'm hungry or tired. Take a guess which one it is". I responded calmly.

"Just make sure you control your tongue next time. The last thing we need is more of your rudeness".

"Sorry Tigress".

Walking back to the Jade Palace was much more relaxing than walking from it. Po didn't stop to lick as many rocks so that was a plus. Eventually, two hours later, we had already reached the Palace and had told Shifu about the rats we encountered. He narrowed his eyes before taking us into the Hall of Heroes, next to the reflecting pool. Thank goodness Monkey pointed the actual name of the building out to me otherwise I would have just kept calling it the main hall.

"The rats you faced are called... the Lao Shu".(Apologies if I spelt the name wrong)

Everybody gasped apart from me and Po. What's a Lao Shu meant to be? A fancy name for rat?

"How come everyone but me always knows what stuff means"?

"You ain't the only one mate".

Shifu sighed and, for the sake of me and Po, explained the general detail about the Lao Shu. It turned out that there was possibly thousands of the rats that were behind stealing the valleys food, and the big one? Turns out that he's literally insane and named Ju Long. At this point, I'm not even surprised one bit, I mean, take it from my point of view. Over a week ago I was a normal human being who was then killed and put into a new world where I've become a python and am now a warrior who's had to go through intense training, deal with a snake who seems to like me AND, at this moment right now, am wasting away on starvation. So yeah, I've just given up all together with being surprised.

"These villains are unlike any you've ever faced".

Well it's not like I've had to deal with many villains to begin with, save for the water buffalos and the croc bandits.

"Get some rest. Tomorrow you train".

We left the Hall of heroes, ready to get some soon needed sleep. There was nothing but silence from the night, only to be broken by Po's rumbling stomach. Guess that's my cue for dinner. The second I made it to the barracks, I got a plate and sprinkled on five grains. I would have taken more if I was sure that I wouldn't be caught, even if I was the only one inside. But still, all that we had left was one bag of rice. All the food that Po had taken into his room a few days ago had gone off from not being properly stored, instantly losing two thirds of our food. No doubt that everyone was mad at him but eventually got over it. Even me. I balanced the plate on my head and gently set it down on the table and took my place before poking the rice again and again. God what I wouldn't give for a burger right now, or fries or anything deep fried. I then lifted up one of the grains and chucked it into my mouth. On the bright side, we still have plenty of water so we weren't running out of that anytime soon. Especially with the well named after Viper. Small or not, it still provided water. Something that the Lao shu couldn't steal. Nice to know I'll live a little longer just to starve to death! I gulped whatever rice was left on my plate and headed to bed. I couldn't wait to see if tomorrow would get any better.

MORNING

It didn't. With the morning came an even hungrier stomach, as though it was eating itself. I could barely move as I climbed out of bed, greeted Shifu slowly and into the kitchen where everyone except Po took their breakfast, three guesses what we had to eat, and made our way to the training hall. It got worse. I watched as everyone was too weak to do any proper punches and moves. It was like they were trying to do kung fu in slow motion. Though I didn't fare any better training with Mantis. I barely had the energy to lift my tail to block Mantis's attack, which was still going strong thanks to his size, but was slightly less powerful. Just like the rest of us, hunger was getting to him. Guess size isn't everything after all. Shifu was doing what he could to inspire us, but even that was of no use. But then again, I wasn't even listening to what he had to say in the first place. I looked to see how Po was doing. The poor guy must be doing terrible. I was wrong as I saw Po move like lightning, crushing all the obsticles set before him. Even the swinging wooden clubs were smash to pieces from his kicks and punches! I was mind-blown as to how he, the guy who's been complaining about food since day one, had just suddenly gone from bad to amazingly good! I was so distracted, that I had forgotten that I was meant to be sparring and paid for it with a kick in the face by Mantis.

"Sorry buddy. Guess I wasn't paying attention".

"You and me both".

"That's enough training for now. Take a break and regroup in twenty minutes".

Everyone sighed and left the training hall. I slithered out after them and decided to just sit down on the grass just outside the training court, just wanting to do nothing but sit in the sun for as long as I could, letting my troubles soak away. Just relax, do nothing. That was how I was wanting to spend my break. And so I just sat there doing nothing. The arrival of everyone else walking back up was my alarm clock so once I saw them, I made my way back to the training hall. This process repeated for the rest of the day.

ONE WEEK LATER

You know what's funny? It has now been over two weeks since I came to live in this world, and now marks a week and a half since the Lao Shu had raided the Valleys food. That technically means that I've spend over half my new life slowly starving to death and all I can say about it is that it sucks. Oh, and that big sack of rice that was full several days ago? Now the whole thing's gone. It was amazing how quickly that rice had disappeared, it really was.

Once the afternoon training session had finished, Master Shifu led us to the outside of the Hall of Warriors, to the right side where I saw a map of... China. (If you look closely at the map on the wall during the actual episode, you'll see that it actually is of China) I don't know why we were being shown it, but I was too hungry to raise an argument or even care.

"I've located the last rice storehouse in the valley of piece".Shifu explained, showing us it's location on the map of China.

Couldn't he have just gotten a map of the damn village? Wouldn't that have been easier to use for the briefing?

"No doubt, Ju Long will- PANDA"!

Po had been humming and dancing on the spot for ages now. I, and likely everyone else, have been trying to block out his noises for the last ten minutes. Now that I think about it, How in God's name was he even still standing? The rest of us were ready to fall over from a simple push, but Po, he was acting like he was ready to take on the world. Luckily Shifu's yell had thankfully gotten him to shut up at last.

"Stake out that storehouse and catch the Lao Shu in the act. Meet up at seven O clock".

We all split up once the meeting was over, I left with Monkey and Viper and went inside the Hall of Heroes.

"So Mike, any pleasant thoughts today"? Monkey asked, noting my behavior which had gone back to anger since I hadn't the chance to yell out again.

"I do, I've been thinking of nice things I want to be put on my tombstone. How does *Here lies Mike. A bastard who starved to death and died alone* sound"?

"I think you'll have a hard time just finding a graveyard to put it in".

"Then just bury me at sea. If I die, promise me you'll do that for me".

"Oh stop being over dramatic Mike". Viper butted in.

"Hey, it's not my fault I need food to live Viper okay? It's not my fault you can deal with it better than the rest of us".

"...Monkey, could you please leave us to talk"?

Great, now I've done it. I saw Monkey look at me worried before leaving through the doors. Once they closed, Viper scolded me.

"Why are you acting like a jerk Mike? Everybody is starving okay, not just you"!

"I know that Viper, but I can't help it. I already mentioned that I act differently when hungry. I'd have thought you'd have taken that on board".

"And you lash out at everyone else for it? That's not very noble of you"!

"You're the one who keep asking me questions you already know the answers to, so forgive me if I'm being a bit of a jerk".

"Look, if you just carry out the mission tonight, then you'll be feeling better in no time okay? But until then, promise me you'll keep your attitude to yourself".

"... I'll try. Okay"?

"That's all I ask".

All I could do then was keep silent. So did Viper until I felt her hug me in an attempt to make me feel better. It sort of did. My anger washed away but was replaced with sorrow. I couldn't even move a single part of my body until after what seemed like hours, Viper decided to let go and left without saying a word. I soon followed after a couple of minutes passed of me feeling sorry for myself.

8:00PM

Everyone had met up at seven as instructed. All except for one, and no prizes for guessing who either.

"Eight o clock, and no sign of Ju Long". Whispered Viper.

"Or prompt Po"! Crane spoke back in a louder voice.

"I can't believe he'd let the villagers down like this"!

"He'll be here. He's probably doing something important".

As for my opinion on Po I didn't share it, but I had a feeling it linked to all his sudden energy that didn't seem to be fading through the last few days. It felt suspicious to me.

"Forget about Po"! Tigress whispered loud enough to bring me back to the real world. "Just stay alert, we can't let Ju Long get the drop on us".

"Oopsie daisy"! Came a new voice from above. I looked up to see Ju Long himself, just lying on one of the support beams with his comically tiny hammer "Too late. But hey, at least we got to spend some quality time together"!

Then as if triggered by a secret signal, dozens, no. Hundreds of rats began to slowly flood the place. I could see them crawling towards us...

1 HOUR LATER

Darkness became light as I opened my eyes. I felt horrible. In pain, still hungry and had no control of my senses from being dizzy. It reminded me of my last date, only no stolen walle- wait. I checked my money bag which I had strapped to me at all times in case of emergencies. Not much, just ten yuan. However...

Scratch that. It's exactly how my last date went. Fighting over food, getting knocked out, no money, almost like I was living the past. Talk about adding insult to injury.

Soon, my senses came back and I could now properly see again. I was in my bed, back at the barracks. I guess after we lost, or at least I assume we lost, that one of the five got me back safely. I only hoped that they weren't in any worse condition. I checked my mirror to see if I had any injuries. None that were visible, on the front of me or my back. I left just in time to see everyone flooding out of the kitchen. They looked madder than I've ever seen them before and wasn't sure whether I should say anything. Now I know how they felt having to deal with me when I became cranky.

"EVERY TIME YOU GO MISSING, THE LAO SHU RAID OUR RICE STORES"! I heard Master Shifu yell at who I'm guessing was Po only because he was the only one not to leave the kitchen.

I was too distracted to notice everybody next to me asking if I was okay. Eventually I heard them and answered.

"Yeah yeah I'm fine. Thanks. But"... I stopped to hear Shifu yell some more. "Did I miss something"?

"Yeah, Po's been sneaking off to Madam Jhao's to eat, which is why he didn't show up at the storehouse"! Mantis filled me in.

"He went to Madam Jhao's tonight"?

"And every night since we went there". Crane said bitterly.

That explains how he's managed to stay as strong as everyone else.

"Now he's let us, and the whole village down". Viper spoke just as harsh.

I've never seen Viper so hateful before, she's alway the most spirited of the group, aside from Monkey when he's pulling pranks, but still it was a terrifying experience. True she's been mad at me, but those were just when she was scolding me, now it was as though she wanted nothing to do with the panda who I was beginning to feel sorry for. I guess now it was my turn to repay the favor for Viper.

"Guys, could you please leave me and Viper alone for a bit"?

"Excuse me"?

"There's something I need to tell her".

"Now isn't the time to give me an answer Mike"!

"No, not that. I have something else to say".

Everyone hesitated to leave but did so. I then led Viper into my room and closed the door once she was in.

"What is this about"? Viper demanded, instead of asking. I then turned round and showed Viper my painted back.

"Read the inscription Viper".

"What"?

"Just do it".

"...To remember the importance of life and enjoy it, no matter the pain you endure. There, now what was the point of that"?

"Do you know why I chose that inscription Viper"? I asked her but quickly answered before she could say. "Because I've been through a lot in my life, and I mean a lot! But you know what? No matter how bad things get, no matter what pain I endure, I always hang on and stay true to myself. Throughout my entire life I never gave in to losing hope and I never will".

"Then why were you moaning on and on about making your tombstone"?

"Because I was hungry. Hunger makes people do anything, even resort to violence. What I said was nothing but simple words. I never truly gave up Viper. Never".

Viper looked away, feeling some guilt but still held onto it. Good thing I wasn't finished.

"To care and protect, to love and serve friend and family alike". I spoke, remembering that Viper had already told me hers on Winter feast morning. She turned to look at me, now confused. "I'm guessing that you chose that because you want to protect the ones you love and care for, right"? "Yes"... "Then perhaps you should start showing it. Ever since I became ill tempered, you were always there for me. And now the shoe's on the other foot, you've begun to blame Po".

"But he's the one who deserted us if you don't remember, or is your head a little more bashed in from the ambush than we thought"? Now who's being the rude jerk? Still I kept my calm and went on.

"And you think that he did it to purposely hurt his teammates? Or because he needed to do what his instincts told him"?

"Mike-".

"And upon that, I have one last thing to ask. Does Po always get in trouble like this"?

"Yes, but-".

"And does he ever try to fix the problems he causes"?

"Yes, and-".

"Then what's to stop him from trying again"?

"Why are you even siding with Po"?

"Because. If he's the Po that you and I both know, and based on your confession, then I'm sure that he's doing everything in his power to solve the problem, even if his friends are against him". This got Viper to calm down. Time to finish this.

"And I'll tell you something else about your inscription Viper. It may state that you care, protect and love friends and family alike, but you forget that those same friends and family, they love and care about you too just as much. Especially Po and... myself as well. Otherwise I wouldn't be having this talk with you".

I just watched as the gears in Vipers head turned before she came to a decision.

"I... guess you're right Mike. I'll apologize to Po when I next see him. And... sorry I said your head was bashed in. I guess I'm the one who needs to control her temper".

She dropped her head sadly and slithered past me to leave. But I held onto her a second longer, catching her attention for a little bit longer.

"You're not a bad snake for what you think Viper. As long as mistakes are realized, from all of us, then you're still the kind hearted girl I know you are".

I saw Viper smile at me, there I could tell that I had gotten through to her. I let her go and watched as she left the room. Favor returned.

THE NEXT DAY

It turned out that I was right about Po doing what he could to help. A few minutes ago, Zhen arrived from the village and told us all that shipments of food were being brought into the valley and how Po had stopped both Ju Long and Madam Jhao. Turns out they were working together, who knew? Shame really, I thought that Madam Jhao was innocent in all this. Guess you can't really trust anyone. But even so, I couldn't help but smile at this source of good news for two reasons. One, we get to eat again, and two, I was right about Po and Viper knew it, but being the good snake I am, I promised not to rub it in her face. I can do that with everyone else. But for now, time to eat!

Everybody was now no longer having to ration their food and were eating rice balls. Master Shifu joined us and ate with us. Within a few minutes of blissful heaven, I saw what I can only describe as "The hero of the hour", walk into the kitchen smiling sheepishly. I decided to see how this would play out.

"Hey guys"...

Everybody took a quick glance at Po and went back to eating. This would be interesting to watch unfold.

"Look, I know I messed up. I let you and the Valley down all for some dumplings and stuffed figs! Which, in my defense were delicious".

That last comment got everyone except myself to glare at the Panda. I just looked down doing what I could to hide my smile.

"Not that that matters... Anyway, I'm sorry".Po turned round and began to leave. "Guess I'm gonna go".

"Panda. Why don't you join us"? Shifu asked, everyone agreeing with him.

Po turned around smiling and sat down and was handed a bowl of dumplings. However before he could eat them, he reared backwards in disgust the instant he smelled them.

"Foot dumplings"?

"Made them myself"!

Everyone laughed, as it would have been obvious that Monkey would have tried to get a little payback. However our silence turned to disgust as we saw Po still but one in his mouth. Eww. But even so, I was glad that Po had solved the famine and earned back the respect of his teammates. Once everyone had finished their bowls, they left until Me, Viper and Po remained. Viper was about to leave too until I wrapped my tail around her to prevent her from leaving.

"Po, I think Viper has something she wants to tell you".

I looked to Viper who nodded, understanding what I wanted her to looked down at us with a full mouth. I then let Viper go once he was listening.

"I... just wanted to apologize for the rude behavior that myself and everybody else gave you".

"Ah, don't worry about it Viper". Po shrugged of before he began chewing on another dumpling, some fresh ones this time. "We're good".

The pair of us decided to leave Po. I still wanted to ask something.

"Before I forget Viper, what happened after we got ambushed by Ju Long cause I can't remember a thing".

"Ju Long sent his soldiers to deal with us. We managed to hold them off for a few minutes. That was when one of them hit you on the head with a pipe and you fell unconscious. We were forced to retreat and Crane airlifted you back up to the palace".

"Well, at least that fills me in. Thanks. Listen, I'm just going to get my throwing stars and train with them, see you in a second".

Before I could turn away, Viper was now keeping a hold of me.

"Actually, there's still one more thing I was hoping you could answer for me".

"What would that be"?

Viper just looked at me as though I should already be expecting the answer. I wish she would just tell me what it was she...wanted... Oh right. Of course. I forgot that I promised her an answer after the food famine was dealt with.

"Ah, okay". I instantly became that much more nervous. "Well...". At this moment, I was thinking back to the last few days. Nothing but a mix of arguments and anger, but also standing up for each other, trying to help each other out. I was at a crossroad here. But remembering how well we got on and... even kissing her on the cheek pushed my mind into the yes switch. And besides, I'm sure Viper won't try to steal my money from me even if we do get into a serious fight.

My mind was made up. I looked Viper in the eyes and quickly gave my answer.

"I... like you too".

I think that saying she was happy was a bit of an understatement as I suddenly found her wrapped around me, but unlike all the other hugs I had received from her, this one was tighter. Much tighter. Okay, a little too tight!

"Viper, can you let go now please"...

Viper quickly realized that she was nearly crushing my insides and dropped her coil around me and I began to breathe in as much air as I could.

"Sorry. Guess I'm just a little happy that you said yes". Viper smiled apologetically.

A little? You call nearly crushing my ribs a little? I'd hate to see what would happen if she was really REALLY happy.

"Soo... you want to go on a date"?I asked, unsure if I was making the right step. I mean, it usually was with my last girlfriend, but with a snake I didn't know. Although, I remember reading somewhere that some female creatures, mostly bugs, kill or eat the male during these sort of things... am I sure I made the right choice? Nonono I'm just over reacting. I can do this.

"Sure, how about the noodle shop"?

"Don't we always go there though"?

"Why not? It's be fun".

"Okay, noodle shop it is. Shall we say seven"?

"Sounds like a good time. I'll see you then".

I then allowed Viper to go and do whatever she was going to do. Then, it hit me. I'm on a first date with Viper. I panicked. I was never good with first dates. Last time, I was so nervous I couldn't even speak and nearly drenched my date in spit. And now that I'm in China, where dating rules may possibly be different, there was no doubt that I need help. Professional help.

A FEW MINUTES LATER

"...And that's why I've come to you. You're the only one who can help me".

"So... You want to know how to woo Viper eh"?

"Uhh, I don't- no, I just need to know what to do for a first date by tonight. That's all"!

So I had come to Po. It may seem like a strange choice to have picked him but after hearing how girls fell for him, Superintendent Wu's daughter, a young goat and a leopard named Song, granted I don't know who any of those people are, that's beside the point. If this guy could get so many girls to like him so easily, then I was certain that I had a good chance of being successful on the first date right?

...

Twenty chapters and over three thousand views! Thanks for the support everyone. So, Mike and Viper are a couple now. After the comments mentioning that I should put them together, I have given you what you wanted. Hope you like it, next chapter, will this first date go as planned with Po as Mike's wingman? Probably not but you'll have to wait a few days to find out. Cheerio


	21. Chapter 21

"Okay, so far so good. Now let me just... THERE! Perfect!... Actually, too oldish looking. Try another one"!

Po had been helping me out with formal dress for a while now. He dragged me down from the Valley of Peace to a clothing shop and instantly began to pick out something that would fit me for tonight's date. Every time he found something he thought looked good, he pushed for me to try it on. Then once I had put it on, he always shook his head and sighed. As much as I hated to ruin his... creative side, I had to speak up.

"Po, I think you're going a bit too far. Remember that it's ME who's going on a date, not you. For petes sake, you're even starting to get frustrated".

At this point, I wished I hadn't opened my mouth as Po looked at me with shock, never had I seen him take anything so seriously before. It was actually a little scary.

"Too far? Mike, you're going on a date with a kung fu master- No! A member of the Furious Five! You have. To look. Perfect"!

Po then grabbed five different colored dresses and shoved them into me before he pushed me into a changing room. Once Po closed the door of the room, I shook my head. Wasn't I supposed to be the one who's meant to be freaking out?

I put on four of the dresses and showed Po how I looked individually in each one. All of them got his shake of disapproval. I then tried the fifth dress. It was long enough to cover me from my neck to about two thirds of my body length which was the perfect size I was looking for. It was a dark blue color with black linings around its edges. There was a beautiful golden stem like pattern emerging from top to bottom, a little like the pattern Tigress has on her combat vest. I managed to get it on and slithered out, showing the master of fashion. This time, it got a nod as well as an excited clap.

"Perfect! You sir, are one good looking snake".

I smiled. Thank God he liked it, this was one of the only few dresses for snakes that hadn't been picked until now. I was certain that we would need to go to another store.

"Now onto hat wear".

"Wait, what? Hat wear? Why do I need hat wear"?

"It's called being formal my slithery friend".

Oh God, it's almost like we're back to step one all over again.

So to skip the details, we picked up what I can only describe as the most bizarre looking hat I've ever seen ever. This thing had a round base and made out of metal which was covered with golden paint. It stood half a foot tall and was surprisingly light. And, to top it off, the very top part seemed to spread out like an explosion. After looking at it in the mirror, it looked a lot like my head had exploded like a volcano, shooting golden lava into the air. That's really the only description I can give it.

"Po, I don't think this thing looks very... suitable".

"Aw come on Mike, you look adorable in it".

"I don't want to look adorable Po"!

"Fine. Everybody's a critic".

He muttered to himself. I just sighed.

"Okay fine, I'll take it. But this is all I'm getting. I still have to pay for the dinner itself as well you know".

"Fair enough. Now come on, let's get this stuff and get out of here".

I complied and bought the suit and hat. It cost seventy eight yuan all together, a lot less than I had expected it to be. Po took the items from me and promised to put them away in my room while I go to the noodle shop and make reservations. Good thing I trusted Po and watched him run off back up to the palace. He's a good guy Po. A little silly sometimes, but good. I made my way over to the Noodle shop at once, reminding myself that I had plenty of time, three hours, until this date began. Was I nervous? A little bit. I mean, this date could have many different outcomes and I don't want any to be negative. I found the noodle shop easily enough and made my way past the tables which were filled with pigs and rabbits and to the service window to speak with Mr. Ping.

"Ah, hello Mike. What can I get you? Can I interest you in some noodles with bean buns? Only five yuan".

"Thanks but I'm not here to buy anything, I was hoping if I could book a table for tonight"?

"Sure sure, I mean it'll cost six yuan to hold it for you, but sure".

I sighed and dug out the six yuan and put it on the counter where Mr Ping collected it.

"So, got a date with a special someone I see"?

"Well, yeah". I blushed a little.

"Is it Viper"?

"Yeah- wait how did you know that"?

"Simple. The last time you came with her I offered you that large noodle soup in one large bowl did I not"?

"Yes..."? "

It was there that I assumed that you two were already dating-".

"Hold on, you mean to say that noodles is what got Viper to like me in the first place"? I asked a little confused.

"Well... noodles often bring people together".

I shook my head, trying not to laugh. "I'll keep that in mind. Thanks Mr Ping".

I left the noodle shop and seeing how I had nothing else to do, I went back up to the Jade palace barracks. Once I had arrived and entered through the front door, I was met by a smug looking Monkey and Mantis. I didn't like the looks on their faces.

"...What"? "We hear you're on a date. With Viper".

I hissed in irritation. I was going to be receiving a lot of mockery for this.

"Yes. I am. And let me say, it'll be one more date that you two will ever get"!

I pushed past the two hastily, only to hear their childish snickering behind me. I made it into my room and closed the door. Who told them that I was on a date with Viper? The only person I told was... Oh no. I had no doubt that Po was going to not only tell everyone here at the Jade palace but likely everyone in the village too. I tried not to think about it and checked the cupboard to see if Po had actually but the dress and hat in it. He had, and it was surprisingly neat inside. The dress hung up in an open space and the hat was resting below it on some soft red fabric.

2 AND A HALF HOURS LATER

I guess now would be a good time to get ready. I opened the cupboard and grabbed the dress, putting it on carefully and then fastening it with the five golden clips that were attached to the front. I wasn't too keen on the hat so I had to look in the mirror with it on and off of me, deciding which would look better. I remember Po saying it would look more formal, but then again, we're only going to a noodle shop, not exactly the fanciest restaurant in town.

You know what, I'll leave it for a special occasion. I checked my money pouch to see what money remained after spending so much of it on the clothes and reservation. Fifty two yuan remaining. That's more than enough. Perfect. I left my room and made my way over to Vipers room where I knocked lightly. I felt nervous. Then again, who wouldn't on a first date? I didn't have to wait long as the door opened to reveal Viper smiling at me. She was wearing a beautiful white dress with red outer linings with flower patterns that came down to two thirds of her body, like my own. I also noted that she had the golden lotus flowers that I had bought her perched on her head. Seems she put more effort into finding a suitable outfit than i did, although I guess I have Po to thank for that. I suppose I should compliment her look.

"Wow Viper, you look beautiful".

My words seemed to have a positive affect as I saw her cheeks turn a slight crimson.

"Thanks, you look quite nice as well". She replied back.

"Shall we"?

"Let's go".

The both of us left the barracks and made our way to Mr Pings noodle shop. On the way, I tried to stir up a conversation.

"I must say Viper, I like the dress you chose. It really suits you well".

"Thanks. I had some trouble finding the right one but in the end, this one looked the nicest".

"I can see why. I can also see you've got your golden lotus flowers in".

"I thought it would be nice to use them on special occasions. You don't mind do you"?

"No, of course not. They're yours after all".

"True but you did buy them. For, fifty five yuan was it"?

"It was, and worth it for you". I spoke trying to make her happy. I wasn't really one for words but I didn't see any harm if I kept complimenting her. Do that and I might make it through the night in one piece.

"Aw thank you. That's really sweet of you to say".

I just smiled. At this point we had reached the noodle shop and got ourselves the table I had booked. It was rectangular and had a large white cover over it. Before sitting down, I decided to be a gentleman.. or... gentle snake I guess, and pulled a chair up for Viper, her back to the archway, which she sat down on while I returned to the other end and sat down. Placed before the both of us on the table was two menus, napkins, and in the middle of it all, was a scented candle in a glass bowl. It seemed that Mr Ping had done a lot to set this up as most other tables didn't seem to carry any of these accessories. I then had a look at the menu in front of me. Most food was noodle related. Noodle soup, Noodles with vegetables, plain noodles. However the drink section made up for it. I never knew that this place served wine. In the end, I chose noodles with vegetables with bean buns. And maybe the wine, depending on Viper's choice.

"Have you made your choice"?

I looked from my menu to see that Viper had already put hers down.

"Just about done. Noodle with vegetables sounds good, with wine"?

"Are you sure you want to pay for wine? I mean, it is fifteen yuan. You don't have to pay that much for us".

"Viper, it's okay, I can afford it. Besides, you deserve a fun night".

Viper nodded, I could tell that she felt a little uneasy about the whole thing, but I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel the same way. Eventually, Mr Ping came to take our order after seeing our menus were put down. I ordered my food and Viper did the same, it seemed that she had chosen the same thing I did but without the bean buns. Mr Ping then tried to push me into buying the large bowl of noodles for an extra Yuan. I declined but asked if the dessert menu could be shown to the both of us after our meal. Mr Ping nodded and left the pair of us to ourselves.

"So viper"... I begun, grabbing her attention. "I just wanted to ask. What made you like me in the first place? If you don't mind telling me".

"Actually, I first started to begin realizing my feelings for you here, when Mr Ping first mistook us as a couple. I then started to think that you and I had spent much time together and that we got on well with each other. At that point, I found that I enjoyed your company more and at as time went on, and I guess I developed a bit of a crush on you". She replied, finding it a little hard to look at me while hiding some noticeable blushing.

So if Mr Ping hadn't gotten that large noodle soup in the first place, I guess Viper wouldn't have realized her feelings for me. Heh, I guess noodles really do bring people together. Shame I wasn't going to tell Mr Ping that though.

"Even so, I'm sorry about poking about at the subject when we were sorting out the scrolls and having you tell me then. I still feel a little guilty about it".

"Don't be. It helped me out more than you think".

"Alright, so long as you're okay about it"...

Mr Ping had returned, balancing two bowls of soup in his hands while keeping a small plate of bean buns on the top of his noodle hat which I found a little humorous. He set the food in front of me and explained that the bottle of wine would be given to us soon. I had no trouble with this. I took my first mouthful of soup. My goodness, it was better than it usually was. I don't know how Mr Ping did it but this stuff was incredible. I then began to talk to Viper about her life at the Jade palace.

"I first begun training at the Jade palace when I was ten. There, I met Tigress for the first time. She was quite friendly and we became like sisters".

Mr Ping had come back with the wine and poured a glass for me and Viper. Once I took a sip, I replied.

"Tigress friendly? That's surprising I must say". I spoke, a little shocked that Tigress was once friendly.

"Well, she did have a tough time at the Jade palace, I'd rather not talk about that if you don't mind".

"No, of course not! Sorry, I didn't mean anything against it, I-".

"Mike, it's okay. I know you didn't. I'm glad to know that you're quite respectful when you want to be".

A gave a small chuckle to her words. I guess that because of the famine yesterday I wasn't exactly the most polite python in China.

"Thanks Viper. You know, I guess I should actually be thanking you for all you've been doing for me".

"What do you mean"?

"The training, helping me out whenever I needed help, and keeping me in line when I got frustrated. It means a lot to me".

"There's no need to thank me for that. I was just helping out a friend".

"Even so, I wouldn't know how to pull off several moves because of you. It only seems fair that I should at least thank you properly for it".

"That's quite sweet of you to say. Honestly, it was no problem".

"You know I must say that-".

I froze and bit my tongue. I could see that just behind Viper, hiding behind the archway was Po! And he was signalling for me to come over to him. However, I caught Viper looking at me, waiting for me to finish my sentence.

"-That... I think I dropped some of my money earlier".

I then checked my money pouch and whirled it round, producing chink and jingling sounds.

"Yeah... seems to be a few coins missing. I... I best check if I dropped them nearby".

"Oh, Okay...". Viper replied a little confused.

I smiled and slithered off my chair and made my way to Po, behind the archway, making sure I was fully out of sight before hissing angrily.

"Po, what are you doing here"? I whispered to the Panda. "Can't you see that I'm still out on a date right now"?

"I know that, but I found your hat lying on the bed. Why aren't you wearing it"?

I looked at Po's hands to see that he actually had the hat with him. Really Po?

"Look, I promised myself that I would use it on special occasions alright? Now isn't really a good time to be arguing about this"!

"Alright fine. But at least put it on".

"Po, if I stroll back in there with a brand new hat on my head, don't you think that's going to look suspicious"?

"But-".

"Listen, Po, I promise I'll wear it next time, okay? But right now, I need to get back before Viper realizes I've been gone for too long".

I let Po nod and then made my way back in. I sat back down opposite Viper, who seemed glad upon my return.

"I found the rest of the money. Seems that they were lying around at the bottom of the stairs". I told her, sticking to my cover story.

"It's alright. As long as you're okay".

"I am thanks. Sorry about keeping you, I guess I should keep an eye on my things more closely".

"Mike, it was a mistake, there's no need to beat yourself up over it".

"Thanks Viper. You know, I'm a very lucky guy to have someone like you".

"And I'm glad to have someone like you".

It was now my turn to blush. "So, what were you saying about your life at the Jade palace"? I asked, interested to hear more of Vipers story.

"I trained under Shifu's guidance got many years and in time, met the other members of the Furious Five. Monkey, Mantis and Crane. All we really did was train and protect the Valley of Peace, we really got on well together. Until a few years ago, when we were told that one of us were going to be the Dragon Warrior".

"I thought Po was the Dragon Warrior though".

"Yeah, there's a funny story behind it really. We all thought that Tigress was going to be chosen to become the Dragon Warrior. But after some... accident of some sort, I'm not too sure what exactly happened, but Po ended up being chosen and has remained the Dragon Warrior ever since".

"Wow, I can only imagine how Tigress must have felt. I guess that explains why she's quite harsh to everyone all the time".

"Actually it's more than that, but I really don't think I should say".

"I understand, I guess that I-".

I could see a familiar sight behind Viper. Po was back and signalling for me. Again!

"... Excuse me, I need to use the bathroom".

"Sure, no problem".

I headed back over to Po. Needless to say I wasn't happy at all.

"What is it now"? I hissed, irritated with Po's interruptions.

"It's just that, if you wear the hat on the second date, it'll seem a bit odd. She'll probably ask why you didn't wear it on the first date"?

"I'll think of an excuse for it now please Po, just go back to the palace".

"Are you sure you don't need help? Cause you seem kind of stressed out right now".

"Yeah, thanks to you dragging me away every five minutes"!

"Oh, right. Sorry". Po left and headed back to the Jade Palace. I really hoped that it would be the last time I would see him tonight. I made my back in and took my seat.

"Are you okay Mike, you seem a bit... stressed"?

"Oh... uh... yeah I'm fine thanks. Guess I'm just not good with first dates".

"I wouldn't say that. You've been a real gentleman throughout the day. Something you don't see in everyone".

"I guess I'm just making sure that I don't mess up like I sometimes do".

"It's alright, after all you did say yesterday that we all make mistakes".

"I guess so".

I finished the rest of the soup and took another sip of wine before waiting for Viper to finish hers. The second she did, Mr Ping took our bowls away and gave us dessert menus. I scanned the choices before me, seeing fruit bowls and tofu desserts. Hard to choose between the selections but I made up my mind for the tofu dessert. I was impressed with how well this date was going so far, despite some interruptions. I only hope that Viper's having as good a time. But still, something itched at the back of my head and I wasn't sure what. But whatever it was, I had the feeling I didn't like it. I stopped thinking to myself just in time for my order to be taken. It seemed that Viper chose the fruit bowl. Honestly I wasn't one to eat healthy foods but I'm still willing to try new stuff, in fact, I was interested to find out what the tofu tasted like. Once the dessert was set out in front of me, I ate the first slice. I was amazed to like it and continued to eat. Neither of us said a word until after we had finished. I began the conversation.

"Ah, that was delicious. How was your food Viper".

"I enjoyed mine, thanks".

"I'll pay the bill. One second".

I got from my chair and spoke to Mr Ping about the price. The whole thing cost forty eight yuan which I barely managed to afford with a remaining four yuan left. Still, it didn't matter how much everything cost, I had a good night. But little did I know that it wasn't over just yet.

"Okay I got the bill done. You ready to go home"?

"Actually, I was hoping to take a small walk up to the peach tree first"? She asked.

I suppose there was no harm in that. It's only... I looked round for a clock, forgetting that I'm in a world that possessed very little technology.

... something O clock. Even so, I guess a late night would be fair to endure. It was a quiet trip to the peach tree. I could only comment on how beautiful the night was. Stars could be seen from all over the black sky. Viper agreed and, like myself, looked up to see the white dots dancing in the night. Once we had made it to the peach tree, I expected that to be it. Instead, I found myself sitting down, head in the soft grass and looking out over the village, past the mountains and watching the moon come into view. I had to admit that the scenery was breath taking, a once in a lifetime opportunity to witness for most people, although I could come to this location anytime I needed. My thoughts were suddenly interrupted as... Viper was lying her head on me. I felt slightly uncomfortable at first but eventually, I kind of got used to it within a matter of seconds.

"Guess I really do make a good pillow huh"?

"Well you are quite comfortable".

I rolled my eyes. This wasn't the first time this sort of thing had happened between us, and I doubted it was going to be the last. I just decided to let her rest her head on me. And without her noticing, I smiled. At least until I heard a creak in the tree above us. Oh my God, please tell it isn't who I think it is. I pulled my head gently from Viper and looked up seeing nothing but pink petals, but I knew that Po was hiding in them.

"Is everything okay Mike"?

"...Yeah, sorry. I thought I heard something".

I put my head back down and rested seeing how there wasn't really anything I could do without Viper seeing Po. But once this date is properly over, I'm getting myself a nice panda skin rug for my room! But for right now, I just wanted to forget my troubles and enjoy the rest of the night. I even tried to wrap my tail around Vipers as I was sure that it was equivalent to holding hands. It seemed so as Viper did the same. But all the same, being in this position did make me feel nervous and a little silly as I was kind of being used like a big teddy bear. Soon, after what seemed like long enough, I rose slowly and checked to see if Viper was ready to go back to the barracks. I got a nod in response and I let her head down first and that I would catch up. I just had one problem to deal with. The second I thought Viper was far enough down the steps, I climbed into the tree.

"Hey- wha- WOAH! AAAAH"!

Po fell out of the tree, landing on his back. I would have felt sorry for him if he didn't deserve it. I jumped back to the ground.

"Care to explain"? I asked with piercing eyes.

"Uhh... just watching over you like a guardian angel"?

"Yeah, a guardian angel who can't learn to mind his own business"!

Po looked away, a little hurt. My anger faded but only a little.

"Po, can you just please tell me why you were up in the tree"?

"Sorry Mike, I- I guess i just wanted to check and make sure everything went perfect for you".

"Well, I suppose I can't really blame you for being overprotective".

Po smiled. However, I wrapped my tail around his neck and pulled him down to my level.

"But if you EVER do it again, I'll make sure that you learn your lesson one way or another! Clear"?

"Clear". Po all but whimpered out.

I then gently released the panda and sighed. "I'm just glad that Viper didn't find out about this little ordeal".

"And what makes you think that I didn't"?

Me and Po spun back round wide eyed upon hearing the familiar voice. Viper was standing right there at the top of the steps with a smug look on her face!

"Viper! I... thought you had gone down back to the barracks".

"I was on my way until I heard Po yell". She turned to look at the panda with one raised eye. I guess she wasn't as far down the steps as I thought. oops.

"Yeah, I guess Po got hungry and decided to get some peaches before we came up here". I lied, covering for my chubby friend. Instead, Po let out a defeated sigh.

"No, I didn't. See, I actually was checking up on Mike so I could help him out, I mean, I guess I sort of ruined your date but-".

"I wouldn't say it was ruined". Viper interuptted. "Would you Mike"?

"I... guess not too much"... I said unsure.

Viper then gave Po a hug, a friendly one and turned to me. I was expecting a hug too. Instead...

*SLAP* Right around the face.

"OW! What was that for"? I asked, rubbing my cheek.

"For lying to me in the first place". Viper scolded. I would have argued back but... I suppose she did have a point.

"Yeah, perhaps I should have said something. I just didn't want to-".

I got cut off as I suddenly found Viper's lips up against my own! My heart was in my mouth and I was certain my whole body had gone red. It only lasted a couple of seconds but still... it was unexpected. I was about to say something but couldn't think of the right words.

"... And that"?

"For giving me a perfect night". I couldn't help but smile, despite my heart still beating like crazy, as though it was going to burst through my chest. Then, I realised that Po had been standing next to me the whole time. I looked up to see him twiddling his thumbs, looking in every direction but my own.

"Soooo... Should I just leave you two or"...

"I think we're done". I spoke. "Come on, let's all get some sleep".

...

Seems like a successful date to me ^^. Hope you all enjoyed reading, I struggled with this one a bit so apologies in advance if this seems a bit rushed. Overall, I did have fun writing it, so please tell me what you think, whether you like it or if something can be improved on, just please, don't be a jerk about it. Anyway, back to the storyboard for me. Cheerio.


	22. Chapter 22

NEXT MORNING Instead of waking up at the gong, I found myself to be already up, thinking back to last night. Looking back, it felt more like a dream than anything else, but I guess it actually happened. I got kissed by a snake. A small laugh escaped my mouth as I got up from the bed and made my way into the kitchen before making myself some coffee with some jasmine in the cupboards above. I then sat down, wondering if Shifu knew of this new relationship going on. I could only imagine him giving me and Viper a lecture onhow and why it's a bad idea for two kung fu masters to be dating. Well, one kung fu master and a rookie. I never really recalled being given the title of master just yet. Even so, I guess it didn't matter too much. Besides, it wasn't something I wanted to think about right now. I took a sip of the coffee just before Tigress walked into the kitchen. She seemed quite calm this morning, you could have almost mistaken her for another tiger.

"Morning". I spoke, grabbing her attention.

"Morning Mike".

I then went back to my coffee, at least until she spoke again.

"I hear you went out on a date with Viper last night"? Really, is Tigress really needing to talk to me about this too?

"I'm guessing Po told you"?

"Told me last night".

"Well, it's true. We went to Mr Pings noodle shop for dinner". I admitted, looking back at Tigress who kept her calm composure, which actually scares me a lot more than it would is she was angry with me.

"Don't worry. It doesn't bother me as long as it doesn't interfere with protecting the Valley of Peace".

That was a little surprising. I expected her to be a little more-

"However"...

Ok. Nope, never mind. Here we go.

"...Viper is like a little sister to me, so I just wish to make this clear". Tigress put both paws on the table and leaned towards me with glaring eyes powerful enough to stop a rampaging bull. "If you do anything to upset her, you're going to regret it".

"Regret what"? Came a new voice.

Crane had now stepped in, joining the conversation.

"Nothing, just the usual death threat from Tigress is all". I replied calmly, despite my coffee mug, still being held by my tail, slightly shaking without me noticing. "Anyway, what are you doing up so early, both of you"?

"Taking a break from meditation".

" I need to sort out my allergies with my nasal irrigator".

Crane showed me the tool clutched in his right foot.

"Nasal what"? The heck is a nasal intergrator?

"Nasal Irrigator. It's a simple and useful tool for allergies". Crane filled me in. "Excuse me".

Crane then lifted the nasal whatchamacallit to his face.

"I'd advise you to look away". Tigress said to me before turning round. I shook my head.

"Don't you think you're being a little over dramatic"? I smirked before looking back to Crane just to see him put the thing in his nostrils.

FIFTEEN SECONDS OF DISTURBING NOISES AND SIGHTS LATER

Yeah... on second thoughts, maybe I should have turned round like Tigress. I have no idea what I just witnessed but it would certainly be playing in my head for a day or two. All the honking and snorting was disgusting to listen to, I don't even want to talk about what I saw! I then shuddered slightly before pouring the rest of my coffee down the drain.

"Told you so". Tigress said with a small smile, turning back to face me.

"Yeah, I guess you did"...

"Sorry about that Mike, I just need to do that every few days to correct my senses and allergies otherwise it could affect my kung fu".

"... Okay... I guess that's fine...". Perhaps I should change the subject. "Anyway, I take it that training starts after breakfast"?

"Yes, and according to Master Shifu, we'll be learning something different today, just to help bring you up to speed with the rest of us".

"Any idea what it is"?

"I don't". I just shrugged at the response, in perfect timing for the morning bells to ring. Instinctly, I slithered as fast as I could to the entrance alongside Tigress and Crane.

"Good morning Master Shifu"! We and the other students greeted to Shifu, who nodded at our greetings and after greeting us back and telling us that we have only ten minutes for breakfast, left as today's training session would be very important, especially for me. Just as well I wasn't hungry. Well, not anymore thanks to Crane and his nasal thingimagig. All I did was simply take a walk over to the training hall, telling everyone else that I would meet them there. Everyone just nodded or replied with half full mouths, AKA Po, not even paying attention to my words. Not that it bothered me. I was just busy thinking back to the events of last night as I left the barracks. I found it a little hard at first, the fact that I was going out with a snake, but then again, I'm a snake too, but still it's a little strange. Maybe it's because of the fact that I was once a different species? Technically I still am. She's a viper, guess the name's a bit of a giveaway, and I'm a python. Big difference there.

"Hey Mike".

Speaking of Viper... I turned round to see the snake of the hour approach me.

"Hi Viper. You okay"?

"I'm fine, thanks".

The second she was beside me, she put her head over me and hugged me.

"How about you"?

"I'm doing well, apart from watching Crane fix his nose with his nasal tool".

"Nasal Irrigator".

"How do you know what it's called"?

"It's hard not to after seeing what it can do first hand".

"No kidding. So I take it you're heading for the training hall as well"?

"Yes, but probably not for the same reason as yourself".

"How so"?

"I was going to see if I could talk to Shifu about, well, us".

My smile faded slightly as I imagined a scenario in my head of Shifu kicking me out of the Jade palace upon telling him of my new relationship.

"Are you sure that's a good idea? Perhaps we should wait until after training"?

I was glad to see Viper putting some thought into my idea, even though I was doing what I could to buy more time for myself. At least I didn't have to wait too long for a reply.

"I suppose that would be better. Otherwise it might affect our training".

"Exactly". I agreed.

TEN MINUTES LATER

Everybody had arrived inside the training room and were lined up in a single row. I watched as Shifu, the only guy Po hasn't told about me and Viper, stood in front of us, both his skinny arms hidden behind his back as though he was hiding something from us.

"Today"... He began. "You will be learning how to deal with the most unexpected of foes. Demons, spirits, any of these beasts can come in their own form and size, carrying both advantages and disadvantages over us. Which is why we will be practicing with these".

Shifu then brought his arms to the front of his body, showing a small orange box, containing two red like eggs causing everyone to give a small gasp. Even Po did so, leaving me to just stare blankly at the box, unsure what they were. Shifu caught onto this and gave a sigh in frustration.

"Python, do you know what I am even holding"?

"... A box"?

I recieved a glare from Shifu for being cheeky.

"Okay, I'll admit it. I don't know what they are". I lowered my head, mostly out of embarassment.

"These are shiftstones python. They have the ability to change ones pyhsical appearance".

... "uhh, okay... well I think it's clear that Shifu has lost his mind. A stone that can change what a person looks like? Who does he think he's fooling?! That's the stupidest thing I have"-

Before I could continue my thoughts, Shifu began to glow, slightly at first but within seconds, his whole body was engulfed in a bright glow, forcing me to close my eyes for a second until it died down. When I opened them back up... there was a second me? My God. There's a stone that can change what you look like. This caught my interest for two reasons. One being that something like this should be impossible to do. The second reason, maybe I can change my form to become human again. I couldn't help but smile just as Shifu transformed back into himself.

...

Sorry about the long wait as well as a short chapter. It's been hectic for me choosing accommodations for Uni as well as having writers block. I'll try to make it up for you guys in the next chapter. Cheerio.


	23. Chapter 23

Shifu put the six of us in three teams, going against whoever we were paired up with. First up would be Tigress and Monkey, followed by Viper and Crane, and last but not least, Mantis, Po and myself. Not that it made a difference as to who I was with, I was too swept away by the shiftstones power. Because there wasn't enough of an open area to train inside, we were relocated to the courtyard just outside where we waited before our master, waiting for him to call the first team forward. The courtyard had a large painted square spreading out along the middle of the floor, taking up most of the ground area, and there were just as many weapons outside than there were inside the training hall.

"Tigress. Monkey. Positions". Shifu commanded.

Tigress and Monkey stepped forwards and parted ways. Tigress stood on the right side of the arena, Monkey on the right with one of the shiftstones that Shifu had handed him once he had stepped forward. I then saw monkey close his hand around the stone and began to concentrate. Suddenly, the same glow that had engulfed Shifu earlier was now happening to Monkey. I even had to cover my eyes for a second from the brightness emitting from the primate. It took a few seconds until I could look again. When I did, I saw a huge gorilla standing on all fours, standing where Monkey had just been. I couldn't wait for my turn.

"Begin".

Tigress overcame Monkey's gorilla form easily. Though Monkey had size on his side, his attacks were much slower. The match only lasted a minute at the least as Monkey had thrown a heavy punch at Tigress who side stepped it and was able to climb up the arm he had just attacked with. Monkey tried to grab her with his other arm, missing as Tigress pushed off from the first arm and into the air, landing on the apes shoulders and was about to knock Monkey out until I heard a snap come from Shifu. My guess was that He stopped the match before Monkey could get seriously hurt. Either way, Tigress won and jumped from Monkey's head to the floor before walking off of the arena and joining the rest of us. Monkey began to glow a second time, changing him back to his smaller orange furred self. He then gave the shift stone back to Shifu before joining the line, standing to the left of me.

"Nice try mate, but remember that size isn't everything". I assured Monkey.

"Ah, I could have taken her if I had actually tried". Argued Monkey in an attempt to keep his pride. I just chuckled.

"Whatever you say Monkey". I focused back to see that Viper and Crane had already taken their places and that Viper had the shiftstone. Her choice of creature had the same problem as Monkey as I saw her transform into a large black snake, at least three times bigger than her original size, both length and width. I think she was meant to be an anaconda. I guess she didn't hear my comment from earlier about size. But then again, I would rather prefer to see how this plays out, Viper isn't dumb. "Begin". Crane immediately took off into the air just before Viper had lunged at the bird, much faster than I had expected. Like her old form, she moved like lightning. Before I could see the match continue, I heard mantis speak up.

"Hey Mike, bet you five yuan that Viper will win". This guy and his bets. How is it he's not broke yet? I looked back at the bug to see him standing on top of Monkey's shoulder.

"Deal". I replied with a smug look.

"You're betting against your own girlfriend? Are you sure that's wise"? Monkey butted in, raising an eyebrow.

"Think of it from a tactical point of view". I explained. "Viper may have both size and speed, But Crane can fly. I'd imagine he'll keep swooping down to get Viper to try and attack. Eventually she'll tire herself out, leaving her at Crane's mercy".

"And once she finds out you bet against her, what then"?

"I'll use the money to buy her something nice before she finds out. At least I'll win both ways".

"Then I hope it works, for your sake". Monkey spoke, patting me on the back reassuringly before watching the match again, which despite my confidence, I couldn't help but grow a little nervous from my foolish bet. That was until I looked back at the match to see Viper with her head clutched softly in Crane's talons. Kind of wished I had been paying more attention. Still, now I had an extra five yuan in my money bag.

*snap*

Viper turned back into her old self and handed the stone back to Shifu, once Crane had let go of her. I guess it was my turn now. As myself and the two remaining warriors had stepped forward, Shifu took a glance at all three of us, deciding who should use the shiftstone. I was near ecstatic when he offered it to me. I took the shiftstone with my tail and decided on what I could be to beat not just one, but two kung fu masters. My original idea was to go back to being human, but that was before I knew we would be having to fight each other with them so that changed everything as I doubted human me would last very long, so I needed to think of something else to turn into.

"Come on". I thought in my head. "What's the strongest, most non lethal thing I can think of"?

I really wished I had more time to think about this as I took my position on one side of the arena. I knew I couldn't choose anything that would either be extremely violent, covered in blood or was the size of a skyscraper so that ruled out most options. Luckily, one creature popped up into my head.

"Perfect"! I thought triumphantly in my head as I had made my choice. Not exactly human but it was close enough. I then closed my eyes and focused on the image in my mind. But before I could become what I had planned to become, the match was immediately stopped. Not by Shifu, but by Zhen bursting through the wooden doors, looking quite frightened.

"TROUBLE IN THE VILLAGE! TROUBLE IN THE VILLAGE"! He cried out, flapping his wings all over the place.

The second he had burst through the front door, I immediately lost my focus, keeping me from transforming.

"Everybody get to the village at once"! Shifu ordered.

Damn it all Zhen! I cursed to myself, wishing the goose had arrived twenty seconds later. At least then I would have been able to turn into what I wanted! Shifu stretched out his hand to me to take back the shiftstone which I hesitated to give back but found the strength to do so. On the bright side, I was also sent down to the village to see what all the fuss was about. Some of the villagers were glad enough to show us which way to go, and soon we found the disturbance, being caused by... Ah hell, not these guys again!

Robbing a nearby shop was a group of scaly crocodiles, one wearing a familiar helmet with a spike sticking out at the top, stealing several small bags of money from the poor grocer, a duck in blue robes. Once the duck had handed over the last of his money, the lead croc spoke up.

"Alright, let's get out of here before"- "Before we kick your butts all the way to Chorgom Prison"? Po finished, causing all the crocs to turn round.

"Darn it all"! The lead croc yelled, resisting the urge to chuck his helmet on the ground. Although, that may have been because he had just noticed me before he had the chance to do so.

"Wait, you're with those guys"? he asked while pointing to me with one of his scaly fingers.

"Yeah, what of it"?

"Ah great, that's just swell you know? Like we don't have enough problems already"! He ranted away to himself loudly.

"You know these guys"? Crane asked me.

"I ran into them when I tried to leave the Jade Palace". I admitted, keeping my eyes on the crocs. To my surprise however, the leader smiled.

"No matter, I guess this just means we're gonna have to"-

"Do this the hard way, right"? Tigress interuptted with a smug look as though she had already been through this routine before several times.

"Hey! That's my line"! The lead croc whined. "Gaarrgh! LE DONG! GET OVER HERE"!

Before I could ask who this Le Dong fella was, the ground shook once, twice, three times. As though something big was heading our way. It reminded me a lot of that Trex scene from the first jurrasic park only no shaking water to symbolise the footsteps. Soon enough, A huge- no. A Gigantic monster sized crocodile came into view! The thing was at least twelve feet tall, towering over everyone and looked to be nothing but muscle!

"... How many steriods did they feed that thing"? I asked myself in general, never taking my eyes off of this leviathan now in front of me and the furious five.

"Le Dong, Deal with these losers"! The leader commanded as he began to escape, laughing as he did, running round the corner and leaving Le Dong to suddenly attack, charging straight at us and pulling back his fist.

"This will be fun". Le Dong spoke in a low and somewhat unintelligible voice.

"Po, take Mantis, Crane and Viper and find the rest of the bandits, the rest of us will deal with Le Dong"! Tigress ordered just before everyone dodged Le Dong's fist as it smashed into the ground, making it shake slightly. Before he could recover, Po and his team hurried past the giant creature who turned round in time to try and crush one of them with his foot. Then, without thinking, I quickly slithered up the crocs Spiked armor which covered his back and made it to the top of his head before coiling myself round his snout and neck and tried pulling him back as hard as I could. This caused Le Dong to stumble backwards a few steps, allowing B team to escape without any casualties. However, the croc ripped me off his one of his big hands before bringing me to his face.

"Now you get hurt"! He spoke and pulled his fist back, ready to cave my face in or at least he would have if Monkey hadn't swept his feet making Le Dong to fall onto his back with a heavy thump, causing him to release his grip on me. The moment he did, I spun and lunged at his gut as fast as I could, hitting him with my head, bouncing off of him like a rubber ball and onto the ground, making Le Dong groan in pain as he held his stomach for a split second. Though it didn't stop him from getting back up and trying to slam into all of us at once with a shoulder barge. I barely got out of the way, just in time for him to accidentley run straight past me and into a building, leaving several large cracks from the impact. I'd hate to be the one who has to pay for the damages for the house.

"Uh, any idea how to take this guy down"? I asked Monkey next to me, keeping my eyes on Le Dong as he turned back round, not even appearing to be hurt from running straight into a concrete wall seconds ago.

"Don't ask me! Tigress faced him on his own once and beat him"!

"How"?

"By Kicking him off the side of the Jade palace cliffside". Tigress explained.

"... Well shit". I eventually replied. First off, I don't think there' any nearby cliffs to throw this guy over. Second, how the hell did he survive being kicked off a cliffside?

"Any other ideas"?

"Nope".

"I've got nothing".

Le Dong charged again and this time instead of punching, he made a grab for Tigress, catching her off guard and tried crushing her with both his scaly hands. Both myself and Monkey did what we could to aid her only to be swatted away by Le Dong's tail as he spun round, laughing at our attempts.

"Pathetic ape and snake". He mocked before turning back to Tigress, enjoying watching her vain attempts to escape.

"Any ideas"? Monkey asked.

"Just one".

According from playing many different video games, the weakest point of an enemy as big as Le Dong was always the head. So without warning, I grabbed Monkey by both his legs, spun round in a 360 to gain momentum, and released him into the air. I watched as Monkey spun round so that his feet would crash into Le Dong's face with great force. I heard Le Dong roar in pain as Monkey hit the croc hard enough to nearly break his skull and flipped from his head to the ground again. Le Dong was distracted enough for Tigress to pry open two Of Le Dong's fingers so that she could simply jump out and spin kick one of the crocs legs so that he would fall forwards and crash onto the floor with a heavy thump. Seems the attack to the head and smashing onto the ground face, or rather snout, first was enough to knock the guy out.

"...That went well"... I spoke after a few seconds of silence.

"Yeah, but how about next time, you give me a warning before trying that again"? Monkey asked with a glare.

"Hey, at least it worked"! I defended myself.

"Hmpf".

"Mike, check up on everyone else to see if they've caught the rest of the bandits. Me and Monkey will take care of Le Dong". I nodded and sped in the direction that everyone else had headed five minutes ago. Good thing I play a lot of games.

...

Next chapter up. So glad I managed to bring back Fung and his gang into the story one more time.

P.s. I may only be able to submit one chapter every week now instead of every few days because of work related things. Apologies in advance ^^ Nevertheless, I hope you enjoyed reading. Cheerio!


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